Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: mashbintater on October 15, 2011, 21:50

Title: Preparing new brassica bed
Post by: mashbintater on October 15, 2011, 21:50

Hi all!  :)

Having moved my dwarf fruit trees out of a prime growing area elswhere, I've spent this afternoon weeding the area. I intend liming it tomorrow then covering it ready for use next year.

Should I also put down my compost that's now ready or leave that until I'm planting?

Thanks, Mash  :)

Title: Re: Preparing new brassica bed
Post by: Willie_Eckerslike on October 15, 2011, 22:47

I wouldn't lime then manure. They don't react well together. I tend to manure now and leave untill the spring, then rotovate then lime a couple of weeks before planting.
You need to consolidate the area to make sure that the soil is very compact for brassicas.

Title: Re: Preparing new brassica bed
Post by: shaun on October 15, 2011, 23:06

Agree wait until early spring before you lime the soil ,

Title: Re: Preparing new brassica bed
Post by: mashbintater on October 15, 2011, 23:20

Thanks for your replies  :).

I'm not manuring the area. It's home-made compost I want to put down  :).

Title: Re: Preparing new brassica bed
Post by: angelavdavis on October 17, 2011, 23:13

Personally I would leave liming until after winter as it is likely to be washed away with the winter rains.  I would add compost or manure now though.

Title: Re: Preparing new brassica bed
Post by: stompy on October 18, 2011, 08:40

I thought you were suposed to lime over Autum/Winter as it helps clay soils clump/crumb together as the frost breaks the clods down, then add well rotted manure/compost in the spring and fork it in?

There are 2 ways in my opinion that i would do it.
There is the afore mentioned one and also manure over winter and just add lime to the planting hole!

Either way should work.

Title: Re: Preparing new brassica bed
Post by: mashbintater on October 18, 2011, 19:07

Thanks for the new replies  :).

I asked a chap on the plot and he recommended I limed AND put my compost down, then lime again.

I did the first 2, and then covered it up to deter weeds. I was too tired to do any more. I will lime again in the spring as it is a very acid soil, and throw some bonemeal / fbb on then as well.

Thanks again for the advice,

Mash  ;)
 

Title: Re: Preparing new brassica bed
Post by: angelavdavis on October 18, 2011, 23:19

Quote from: stompy on October 18, 2011, 08:40

I thought you were suposed to lime over Autum/Winter as it helps clay soils clump/crumb together as the frost breaks the clods down, then add well rotted manure/compost in the spring and fork it in?

I agree if this is the reason for applying the lime, however I assumed that the reason the OP was liming was to alter the soil pH for the brassicas.

Title: Re: Preparing new brassica bed
Post by: stompy on October 19, 2011, 07:29

Quote

however I assumed that the reason the OP was liming was to alter the soil pH for the brassicas.

mash never said that,
all that was asked was what should be done to make a new Brassica bed and when to lime not to alter the ph of the area  ::)

Title: Re: Preparing new brassica bed
Post by: mashbintater on October 19, 2011, 09:42

I was advised not to manure a brassica bed as it makes it too acid. I know in the spring it will have settled well enough to lime by then. Those who saw my homemade compost considered it to be better quality than manure, and my brassicas would fare much better as a result.

Watch this space!   :)

Mash.