[Marijke Jones]

Dear fellow gardeners,

First wishing everybody a happy new year and a good garden season. It was my first season growing vegetables and was pleased with the results. Now I am planning the garden for a new season. I kept up with weeding but I am wondering if I need to enrich the soil before I plant new vegetables. I will plant cauliflower, broccoli, peas, green beans, lettuce, spring onions, radishes, tomatoes and strawberries. Do I need to mix the soil with manure? Meal and bone or seaweed. I used seaweed last year and was quite pleased with the result. I would like your advice please as I know some plants don’t like manure etc. plus this is Ireland and the weather might be a factor as well.

Look forward to your comments.

[Candide]

I'm just going by what I've sieved from wiser ones comments on here.  I got a bulk bag of mushroom compost which I've spread all over.  I'll also go pick up some horse manure later on.  My understanding is that this sort of bulky stuff is good for soil structure, especially with the heavy clay I have.
Then, when planting, I'll scatter a handful of blood fish and bone for every square metre.  For anything green that needs more nitrogen such as cabbage, that will get similar in dried chicken manure pellets.  This more concentrated fertiliser is for feeding the plants more directly.
Other advice is not to manure where carrots, parsnips and similar roots are to go
That's the basis of my approach supplemented with weed or comfrey tea as a tonic.

[steven c]

i have just spread well rotted manure on all beds only about an inch or so thick then let the rain and worms do there thing by planting time it should be ready to go   by the way we are no dig  hope this helps  we dont manure where we will grow carrots,

[Goosegirl]

For root veg such as carrots, parsnips, swedes etc, their roots will fork if there are any lumps of soil or bits of manure below the soil level. Some people dig out a hole and backfill with the same soil after sieving it.

[snowdrops]

I’m in the no dig camp so I just apply a mulch of either manure, or homemade compost. I even manure my carrot & parsnip bed, the secret is not to dig it in to stop them forking, but a stone etc if they hit it will make them fork.

[rowlandwells]

I've not gone over to the no dig club yet so I follow the old traditional way I  spread manure over the ground in the autumn then plough it in for winter unfortunately after I had spread the manure the ground last year it became very wet so I was unable to plough so the manure has laid on the plots for the worms to take in overwinter till I can plough the ground come spring and as said I will leave part of the plot not manured for root crops   

[Kleftiwallah]

My quandary is which vegatables prefer loose soil and which do not!

Cheers,  Tony.

[AndyRVTR]

My quandary is which vegatables prefer loose soil and which do not!

Cheers,  Tony.

I think it's only brassicas that like firm soil Tony... others like root veg don't!

[bayleaf]

I notice in the original post you mentioned using seaweed. I think this is a very underrated form of nutrition for plants. If it worked last year I would use it again. This won't improve the soil structure

[Ivor Backache]

You use the word 'enrich' In my view that's 3 things. Soil structure, NPK and pH
For soil structure you will need compost. I make my own, but I very rarely have enough.
NPK. I tested the soil for Nitrogen/Phosphorus and Potassium. At this time of the year there is very little Nitrogen because it has been washed out the soil. P&K stay in the soil longer. When preparing a bed, spread a handful of ammonium nitrate per sq yd/m  and after planting follow that with a handful of growmore 777.
pH Different plants require different levels of pH. Brassicas 7 to 7.5 and Strawberries 5.5 to 6.5. You will need a pH meter to establish the levels. You can lower the pH with ericaceous compost.

[Subversive_plot]

Soil pH is useful, but a cheaper alternative to a meter would be a soil pH test kit.  Cost about $15 (£12).  Every few years, or more often if you want, send a soil sample to a lab for a more thorough soil test, pH and nutrient analysis.

pH meters that are offered for £20 or so are nearly useless because they can't be properly calibrated (a proper pH meter will be £200 to £300 and up, plus necessary supplies such as buffering solutions).

Why is pH important?  It has to do with nutrient availability to plants at different soil pH.  See https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/more_reasons_for_soil_testing for a useful chart, note that most nutrients are most available when the pH is around 6.5 to 7.  Note that nutrients are available over broad ranges of pH. You just need to know roughly where you are in terms of pH to determine if your plants will be able to get necessary nutrients. For example, using the chart, if your soil pH is lower than 6, your plant will struggle getting enough phosphorous. Soil pH is easily raised by liming the soil.  Brassicas require boron, but will struggle with boron availability if pH is near either 4 or 8.5.

Another useful link explains what specific nutrients do for the plant, and how to recognize some nutrient deficiencies: https://nrcca.cals.cornell.edu/soilFertilityCA/CA1/CA1_print.html  This article focuses on plant micronutrients: https://www.cropnutrition.com/nutrient-management/micronutrients

Do you need to worry about testing for all of the micro and macro nutrients each year?  Probably not.  Provide the main macro-nutrients each year in the fertilizer of your choice (manure, blood meal, etc., or a chemical fertilizer if you prefer). Adjust soil pH as needed. Provide calcium, magnesium, sulfur (gypsum and Epsom salts as needed).  Most of the remaining micro-nutrients will only rarely need to be provided.

[cc]

Taking well rotted cow manure up my terraced garden at the moment.   Will plow it in. If I am using my own compost I take the top 8" or so of top soil off, put the compost in and then put the top soil back. To many weeds come up if I don't.