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Soil fertiliser?
Jordan Carter
Posts: 81
in Fruit & veg
Hello everyone, This is my second year on my allotment and we have started to add beds. In my opinion, they look nicer and they are easier to manage. They aren't raised, just a brick border in the ground. I haven't got a photo of all of them, but I have a photo from when we first started putting them, they are all very similar, just different shapes and sizes. Last year, everything grew really well, but the soil hadn't been used for around 4 years. I've left everything until last minute this year and haven't added anything to the soil. Is there anything that I can add fairly cheaply, fast and organic to the soil to help improve my growing year? I hope to get planting in the next week or two. Thanks
EDIT - Can't see any option to upload a photo.
EDIT - Can't see any option to upload a photo.
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Posts
Do you have access to compost? That would be a start. Access to aged, well-rotted manure of any sort would also be a huge help. But it has to be well-rotted, not fresh. Neither will add a huge amount of nutrients to the soil but they will aid things like worm and healthy bacteria activity which are very important. If you don't have direct access to manure, have a look around a good garden centre for bags of things like mushroom compost.
If everything grew well last season, the soil is obviously still healthy.
Re posting a photo. In the panel across the top of the posting box you should see a symbol of a tree, second last symbol from the right hand side. That's where you start. Then just follow the instructions.
Costs a bit more but is an investment until the plot compost heap is rolling.
Hi Jordan
- if you're posting from a laptop or tablet go into the Settings under your username top right, and make sure you've got Advanced Edit enabled. You should then get a green tree icon on the toolbar above where you type your post. Click on that to post photos.
As for adding nutrients to the soil - now is the right time to add Fish, Blood and Bone (follow instructions on pack). A slow acting organic fertiliser for all types of plant.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
That's how I used to upload photos, but there is no panel across the top at all now. It may be because I'm on my phone. I'll try to upload the photo when I get home this evening. Thank you again
Its a pain.
Hi all
Compost is an essential ingriedient for all gardens and the quicker the better you can make your own your ground will return in volume the fruit and veg going forward.
I have been making a few changes at my allotment so that I can create as much as I can to build up the beds which are getting better every year with all the compost put back from the garden waste every year. As well as that well rotted cow manure has also been added but carefully to plan my planting each year.
Just now in the process of changing my compost area around to create a better Lay out with easier access.
Compost bays and bins to move around and will post some more pictures once it has been finished
Happy gardening
I don't know if you will be using your allotment all year around but have you though about using green manures? Usually a fairly quick and cheap way of helping the soil out and they have varieties for all seasons.
I looked into green manures and found them far from cheap. Where do you source yours Annie?
Hostafan1 I grow from seed, it cost me £1.50 (plus p&p of course) for enough to cover around 10 sq m. I've had no trouble with germination and all have grown strongly in their rows, in fact I'm just waiting for the soil to warm up and dry a little more before I dig it in.
Not sure about the policy on sharing direct links to seed suppliers in threads but I'd be happy yo point you in the right direction if you fancy checking it out for yourself.
Thanks for the replies. I purchased some bagged farmyard manure from the allotment shop, that'll keep me going for this year.
Annie, I've ready into green manure and will definitely be sowing some when this growing season comes to an end. I was just too lazy last year!
As promised, here are some photos of the bricks beds we are currently putting into place. We have four at the moment (one is unfinished) and then room for anither four or five which we will be putting in over the next two to three weeks.