Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Clarky86 on January 03, 2018, 21:01

Title: Alternative to compost and manure
Post by: Clarky86 on January 03, 2018, 21:01
Evening all.

I'm yet to dig over a part of the garden to create my new allotment. I'm really hoping to get stuff in the ground this year. I think my main veg I'm wanting to start with is onions, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, peas, courgette and some Brussels for next crimbo....

As I have very little time to allow manure to work its way in and the small problem of not having any manure, is there something I can add to the soil in its first year to help get the best of results?

The soil appears very good and quite crumbly as it was once grazed on and has ridge and furrows also. So hopefully it'll be easy to dig and break down.

Ill be growing most the salad crop in my new greenhouse, thinking of growing spring onions and salad leaves etc in big 10-12" pots along with toms and cukes.

I suppose you can grow carrots in big pots? Any experience of this?
Title: Re: Alternative to compost and manure
Post by: Plot 1 Problems on January 03, 2018, 21:31
If the ground hasn't recently been used for cropping I'm guessing you'll get away with just digging it over and planting in it. You could always chuck some chicken manure pellets or growmore around the plants to give them an extra feed if you want to give them a boost.
Title: Re: Alternative to compost and manure
Post by: Yorkie on January 04, 2018, 07:50
Compost and manure are used to improve soil structure.

It's not advised to put them where you plan to grow parsnips and carrots as they are likely to fork. You can probably avoid putting them where your sprouts will be grown, as they need a very firm soil. So that helps you to prioritise.

Our association sells soil improver, and you may find that your council has some too, though do your due diligence - if the council calls it soil conditioner rather than compost, it may not have all the nasties removed.

Growmore is a fertiliser; this is different from compost/manure. It provides a balanced range of nutrients, as does fish blood & bone.
Title: Re: Alternative to compost and manure
Post by: greenjay on January 04, 2018, 08:05
the first year you turn a piece of field into a veg plot will be your best harvest.
the only problem may be with wireworm.
chicken pellets are good to boost crops.
Title: Re: Alternative to compost and manure
Post by: johnjsdb on January 04, 2018, 12:30
Might be worth looking up "No Dig Gardening"
Title: Re: Alternative to compost and manure
Post by: victoria park on January 04, 2018, 12:38
Re the carrots, I grow an early crop in a couple of plastic trugs in the greenhouse, and then outside, that are roughly 11 inches deep with decent soil and another top 3 inches of compost. I get really good crops, better than outside. Well worth the effort. Probably get away with a couple of inches less.
Title: Re: Alternative to compost and manure
Post by: Goosegirl on January 04, 2018, 13:05
If the land was used for grazing like some of ours was, then it may well be rich in nitrogen (plus some wireworms as said previously) so avoid anything with a high-nitrogen content. There are kits available to see what your soil contains in the way of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous and may be worth trying beforehand. As you don't have any manure try using mushroom compost to keep the soil structure in good heart. The ridges and furrows suggest the use of tractors or similar so the furrows may have a more compact soil which may not drain as well as other areas so have a dig in a furrow to see if that's the case, and it will also give you an idea what depth of topsoil you have.
Title: Re: Alternative to compost and manure
Post by: rowlandwells on January 04, 2018, 19:12
I definitely agree with testing the soil before commencing with any other cultivations when I took on a new plot I used poultry pellets and growmore the first year then after that I began using  horse manure on a yearly manure rotation you could also try green manure as an option
Title: Re: Alternative to compost and manure
Post by: JimB on January 04, 2018, 20:08
Might be worth looking up "No Dig Gardening"
.

,
Might be just the job "to turn over".
Title: Re: Alternative to compost and manure
Post by: al78 on January 06, 2018, 21:50
I'm not sure how "no dig gardening" can be compatible with "alternative to compost and manure", since no dig involves application of organic matter onto the soil every year.