Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Conditioning Soil

Andrew KennethAndrew Kenneth Posts: 277
in Problem solving
Hi,
This year I changed all the soil in my 50 litre plastic containers. I thought that I was doing the right thing by adding  a quantity of course sand to aid drainage. What happens now is, when I water it turns into a sloppy mud consistency and, when it's dry it's as hard as concrete!

Can anyone help me rectify this disaster?
Many thanks
Andrew 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    There's nothing you can add really to improve what's already in the pot.
    I think you'll have to start over tbh I'm afraid and use horticultural grit in place of the sand.
    I put a couple of inches of grit in the bottom of the pot first then put the gritty compost on top of that - John Innes 2 or 3 with added homemade compost to open it up a bit and plenty of grit

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd agree. Start again with either a soil based compost [ a J.Innes type]  or just soil, with grit mixed through it.
    How much you add will depend on what you're growing in the containers. Some plants would need nothing added. The main thing is to make sure the drainage holes don't get blocked  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Andrew KennethAndrew Kenneth Posts: 277
    Many thanks for your replies. I was hoping to be able to work with the soil as I'm not looking forward to emptying 25 50 litre containers....but there you go
  • Arthur1Arthur1 Posts: 542
    JI compost will cost a fortune. Could buy bulk topsoil and make your own.
  • Andrew KennethAndrew Kenneth Posts: 277
    I couldn't use JI even if I wanted. They don't sell it in Spain :#
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    John Innes compost is a set of ‘recipes’ rather than a brand … so you can make your own, following the recipes given here …

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/john-innes-compost 

    Good luck. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    Why did you decide to change the soil in the first place?

    I think you're probably asking yourself that.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • Andrew KennethAndrew Kenneth Posts: 277
    Reason was that I took over this allotment from my father in law and in 25 years that he had it he never once changed the soil in the containers, just added compost/ manure etc... When I took over I noticed that in the first three years nothing seemed to grow well so, on speaking with my local garden cente they advised that I should empty the 50 ltr containers, wash them out and replace with new soil. That's what I did....
Sign In or Register to comment.