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PH soil

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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Just how small are the pieces of buddleia?
    They'll root really easily into any surrounding soil. I'd be worried about that happening unless they've been chopped very finely, and are heavily covered with other material.
    I sometimes use pieces as simple perennial supports,  and end up with quite a lot of well rooted new plants.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Yes soil can be too loose in a bed. It may seem counter intuitive but in order for moisture to get to the roots the soil particles need to be in contact but not  compacted.  If the air spaces are too large water will just flow through from the top and not stay in the soil, and ground water will not "wick" up either.  Think of the differences  between gravel , blotting or kitchen paper and a soild hardwood.   Hope that makes sense. 
    AB Still learning

  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    It will settle down and compact naturally over winter, especially after rain. When I’m adding new material to top up my raised beds in Spring, I mix it in lightly to the top layer of existing matter, rake it level, gently tamp it down with the back of the rake and water the whole bed. It’s especially important to get good contact with the soil for direct-sown seed. 
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • I love all that fresh new wood. There’s stages that garden fixtures go through and I particularly like the new stage although I like the weathered and well worn too.😁

    I'd be very tempted to get some green manure sown in that planter. Some clover or birds foot trefoil that’ll not only fix nitrogen for your planting next year but it’ll help prevent  the winter rain leaching nutrients from your growing medium.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I would have put the whole lot in a compost bin,  mix it up regularly,  mix in some wood chips,  such as the Buddleia chipped up,  some cardboard and cover it for the winter,  nice mix of compost to fill the planter with next Spring.
    I would also have lined the sides of the box with plastic to slow down the rotting process. 
    There’s a very good section on compost heaps and making compost in this book,  I wouldn’t be without it.
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vegetable-Expert-books/dp/0903505207/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

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