Hello. I am a new gardener and would very much appreciate your comments please. I have large bedding boxes made from sleepers around the garden which I would like to start planting in Spring. The soil is clumpy with clay & stones. I have just de-weeded the boxes and turned over the soil and not sure of the best next options. Would you advise for me to use grazing rye now or would I be better buying compost from a local company (please advise what would be the best compost to purchase) to help the soil for spring planting? Thank you in advance.
Elizabeth - is there a reason why you have not let grass grow beneath the trees? Is it like an orchard? You could try growing comfrey, though if the area is shady it might not do so well. The variety 'Bocking 14' does not self seed, so won't seed into your lawn, but it will bulk up and spread eventually through its roots. Comfrey is great for bees and rich in potash and other minerals. Once a year you could chop down the foliage and leave it to rot into the soil to fertilise the trees, or make a comfrey solution to feed to flowering plants and tomato/chilli/aubergine crops to improve flowering potential and fruit set.
Gill - it sounds like you have heavy clay soil. I'm afraid it's going to be backbreaking! Just dig over a small patch at a time, incoporating as much organic matter (in the form of home-made compost or well-rotted horse manure) as you can get your hands on. Grow deep-rooted plants such as potatoes, which will help to break up the soil. A deep-rooted green manure such as grazing rye will also help. Here is more information on improving soil and sowing grazing rye:
Des Caldwell - That sounds terrible! Yes, you can improve heavy clay soil in the manner you suggested, but if the builders didn't do a very good job initially, it may be that you actually have a lot of subsoil in the mix, which is very low in nutrients and not suitable for growing things in. Is the lawn not growing well? You could try working with what you've got: aerating, scarifying and feeding your lawn (info here: http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/category/lawn-care/), and perhaps sprinkling a mixture of sharp sand, topsoil and grass seed over the lawn. This will probably need doing every year if you want to improve the state of the lawn in the long term, but its success depends on how bad it is now...
Melanie - I would sow field beans now, if you are in the south of the UK you might get away with grazing rye, but field beans can be sown until November. They also have deep roots, which are excellent for breaking up heavy soil. You could mulch with a combination of compost or well-rotted manure, which would help aerate the soil and separate its heavy particles, but I'd personally opt for sowing a green manure now (easier), then grow potatoes next year. These will continue to break up the soil and should make it more manageable in the future. You could follow the potato crop with a mulch of compost or horse manure in late summer, or just sow another green manure and leave it til the following spring.
Kate - thanks so much for your advice, they're just regular trees/non-fruit but it was so difficult trying to cut grass around them we've completely removed it, also we figured the less grass the more nutrients would be available to the trees. There is part shade in some areas as the trees are still relatively young, but I wouldn't mind trying your idea, even in a test patch for starters and then take it from there, thanks again!
Thanks everso for the advice on my heavy soil, whilst the weather if still tolerable I have set to work a little bit at a time turning and digging as I go. It's far from easy but I have realy enjoyed the hard work and sense of achievment. I can't wait to get planting the green stuff to improve what at the moment is just mud. Hopefully by the spring i will have more choice as to what I can plant.
Hi again,will using grazing rye work in the flower beds, the soil there is just as bad. Heavy soil waterlogged after rain dry in summer. Im not sure where to begin. Can i still sow the seeds now, I live in the North West of England
We haven't used green manure before and are interested in sowing it on our allotment as we have added only a little manure in the last 4 years. We are in the North of England. What do you recommend?
Thank you for the picture of not leaving soil bare. around our allotments are huge swaths of bar turned earth throughout the winter. I am told it is good to let the frosts get into the soil to kill off pests. Is this so? My other question is about field beans. The mice seem to like them so they only come up in patches. Any organic and humane solutions to that? Also what should follow field beans and what should thy be following for the best results? thanks.
kate, after having an extention done on the back of my house, the builder made a mess of my then lawn by mixing plaster and throwing the water and left over plaster on to it. Eventually I had a new lawn laid and the gardener seemed to have done a good job at the time, it grew qickly and we mowed it at the time he told us to do so but it didn't seem to grow very thick and I found I had to spread grass seeds to thicken it up. Two years on the grass still is not thick and lush I have done everything the txt book says to do and my lawn is no better. If I leave it to grow it appears to be thickening up but as soon as I mow it,you can see the soil, once you walk on it a liitle, it is a muddy mess again. Before the gardener laid the grass I was surprised that he didn't flatten the soil down, he levelled it and thats all, the only time it can be walked on without the mud sticking to your feet is when we have a drought and that's not that often in Manchester. Please help I have family coming to stay from Australia & Newzealand it would be great to be out doors weather permitting and using the old BBQ
Hi Kieran, you won't directly harm the garden by not using green manure, but if you intend to dig over a large portion of the garden, it's a good idea to sow a green manure over the surface. This will help protect the soil structure and retain its nutrient levels. Kate
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Thank you in advance.
i love baked potatos and would like to try and grow some but which seed potato wood i need to buy
Gill - it sounds like you have heavy clay soil. I'm afraid it's going to be backbreaking! Just dig over a small patch at a time, incoporating as much organic matter (in the form of home-made compost or well-rotted horse manure) as you can get your hands on. Grow deep-rooted plants such as potatoes, which will help to break up the soil. A deep-rooted green manure such as grazing rye will also help. Here is more information on improving soil and sowing grazing rye:
http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/soil-improve/
http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/soil-improve-green-manure/
Des Caldwell - That sounds terrible! Yes, you can improve heavy clay soil in the manner you suggested, but if the builders didn't do a very good job initially, it may be that you actually have a lot of subsoil in the mix, which is very low in nutrients and not suitable for growing things in. Is the lawn not growing well? You could try working with what you've got: aerating, scarifying and feeding your lawn (info here: http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/category/lawn-care/), and perhaps sprinkling a mixture of sharp sand, topsoil and grass seed over the lawn. This will probably need doing every year if you want to improve the state of the lawn in the long term, but its success depends on how bad it is now...
Melanie - I would sow field beans now, if you are in the south of the UK you might get away with grazing rye, but field beans can be sown until November. They also have deep roots, which are excellent for breaking up heavy soil. You could mulch with a combination of compost or well-rotted manure, which would help aerate the soil and separate its heavy particles, but I'd personally opt for sowing a green manure now (easier), then grow potatoes next year. These will continue to break up the soil and should make it more manageable in the future. You could follow the potato crop with a mulch of compost or horse manure in late summer, or just sow another green manure and leave it til the following spring.
June - there are so many vareities to choose from. here is a list from allotment.org.uk: http://www.allotment.org.uk/vegetable/potato/potato-flavour-type.php
Kate
My other question is about field beans. The mice seem to like them so they only come up in patches. Any organic and humane solutions to that? Also what should follow field beans and what should thy be following for the best results? thanks.