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wellington womble
Joined: 08 Nov 2004 Posts: 15051 Location: East Midlands
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 31902 Location: York
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 45468 Location: yes
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 2507 Location: New Jersey, USA
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Tavascarow
Joined: 06 Aug 2006 Posts: 8407 Location: South Cornwall
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 45468 Location: yes
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 31902 Location: York
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Hairyloon
Joined: 20 Nov 2008 Posts: 15425 Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 45421 Location: Essex
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15578
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 16 8:23 am Post subject: |
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My FIL dug leaf mould into his year on year, and their garden is pretty good now, which isn't bad for brick clay. My father, on similar clay, used to dig it with a spade to slab it up and let the frost work it down a bit during the winter.
I agree about the organic matter. If you use something unrotted, it will take the nitrogen out of the soil while it rots, so ideally improve the soil and plant once the stuff has rotted. You might also find charcoal helps to store and release water and nutrients at a reasonable rate. If you know a charcoal burner, they may give/sell you their fines. Not too sure about it for clay soil, so I would look it up on a sensible web site, don't go for the 'its magic' type ones. |
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wellington womble
Joined: 08 Nov 2004 Posts: 15051 Location: East Midlands
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 16 11:54 am Post subject: |
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Rob R wrote: |
In my case concrete would be an improvement. At least then you could walk on it, aside from in July. |
My biggest issue is that I can't get anything by the truckload. I'm still working on it, though. I'm not too happy about using the digger next to the greenhouse just yet. It's only about 10 by 7 metres, I think. It's enough to be going on with, especially as there is only two of us and one isn't very keen on vegetables! I already have established fruit trees and bushes somewhere else which seem to be doing ok, as well as the absurdly shallow raised beds.
Mushroom compost might be a start. I'll ask about it.
I'm not too concerned about nitrogen at the moment, I'm more interested in workable soil. I'm resigned to buying in compost to fill the raised bed, so this is just for the bottom layer. I have trees, so I can make leafmold next year.
I do have chicken straw. I was thinking of getting one of those tumbling compost bins. I have one that works very well, although it goes end over end do it is a bit heavy to turn. |
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 45468 Location: yes
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NorthernMonkeyGirl
Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 4587 Location: Peeping over your shoulder
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wellington womble
Joined: 08 Nov 2004 Posts: 15051 Location: East Midlands
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 16 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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I have to dig, I've a pizza oven to build!
I'm not really thinking of digging as such, or the plants going that deep at the moment. The raised beds will be about foot deep, so most roots aren't going to be going below current ground level. My thinking is what can I put at current ground level to improve the soil (via critters if they haven't all drowned) to be improving the drainage longer term while I garden in the top bits. So if I chuck a load of straw or chip or manure (if I can get it) in March, by next year I'll have better soil under there, right? I know it will be a bit hot, but they won't be under cover, and I reckon it'll be a couple of months before anything really gets deep enough to hit it, and it will have cooled down by then. It might even get things off to a good start. Like a hot bed, but with the goal of better soil and drainage. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15578
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