How to reinvigorate soil and old compost

davidvrose · 5 January

Hi,
For past few years when season finishes I just add the compost from used grow bags into a raised bed which is used for vegetables the following season or to borders where plants grow. Pretty sure any nutrients and general goodness would have been used in first season so whilst I have nice planting conditions I'm sure the soil/compost must need reinvigorating with something but not sure what.

Any advice appreciated.

Dave

kate.james58 · 5 January

If you can get hold of a book called The Edible Container Garden by Michael Guerra, there is advice regarding this on pages 39-40. It's quite comprehensive and I'm sorry that I don't have time to type it all out here. However it is a very useful book anyway, imho.

Busy-Lizzie · 5 January

Used compost is fine for mulching. If you use it for roses then add some rose fertiliser in March.

If you want to add it to raised beds you can add some Blood, Fish and Bone fertiliser, or any organic fertiliser, such as chicken pellets or seaweed. Depending on what vegetables you want to grow you can also add well rotted manure.

kate.james58 · 5 January

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Plantminded · 5 January

I have free draining, sandy soil here which doesn't retain much moisture or nutrients. I have been adding bought blends of compost as a mulch in early spring and late autumn to improve the soil and have seen much improvement in plant growth and health since doing so. Anything with organic material helps to reinvigorate soil, like stable or farmyard manure, home made compost or leaf mould. There are many options available from compost suppliers online, often with free delivery if they are nearby, or you can buy bags of farmyard manure or soil conditioner from most garden centres and other retail outlets. One last point is that some plants prefer poor, impoverished soil so reinvigorating the soil for them is best avoided. Too many nutrients can also encourage leaf growth instead of flower production and encourage slugs and other pests to target fresh green leaves!

davidvrose · 5 January

Many thanks for all advice (especially about too much nutrients). I've contacted a fried who knows a farmer so hopefully get some rotted manure and will get some BFB and check out the book

Plantminded · 5 January

This RHS link should also help you: https://www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/organic-matter-how-to-use-in-garden

Also, check that the manure is well rotted, as detailed here: https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/horse-manure/#

StephenSouthwest · 5 January

Even in a raised bed, it can be helpful to think of the soil as a system, a complex ecology, rather than a product that gets used up...

Of course it's an unusual ecology, in that the herbivores eating the vegetation aren't returning all their output onto the soil (unless you have a composting toilet), so home composting, making leafmould and bringing in well rotted manure can all be helpful.

How to reinvigorate soil and old compost

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