[webwahm]

We are late getting started on the veg growing, and so many people have told me what to do I'm lost in it all.

I'm getting some established plants, so won't be growing from seed this time, just putting straight into the ground.

I've been told to dig over and apply lime.  But not where potatoes are going.

Then add our own compost to the soil when I plant out.  Then fertilize (with?) as they grow.

...what is the difference between compost, 'fertilizer', wormcast and manure?  Is it just different forms of the same thing?  I thought our compost bin was our own organic fertilizer?

 :blink:

[Aidy]

Think your lost now?? Just wait till the techie answers roll in. They are all pretty much of the same thing in the basic form apart from fertilizer. Worm cast, compost and rotted manure are there to add nutrients to the plant and will look like soil (basic form) where as fertilizer will either be liquid feed or powdered feed you either apply direct or mix with water. Thats the simple ish answer

[webwahm]

Think your lost now?? Just wait till the techie answers roll in.

...at least I'll be able to refer back here though, and not have to look daft to the other plot holders 

Nice and simple answer, thank you - so if I have a bin full of compost, I don't need to buy wormcast.

[Aidy]

Sort of, wormcast is very very good but normal compost will have the work done by worms so its good enough, I use home made compost mainly and dont bother with wormcast or worm pee which is also very good.

[JayG]

I'll try not to be technical:

Fertilizers like growmore or dried chicken poo are concentrated sources of plant food which are used to replace or supplement the "big 3" essential elements of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium in the soil.

Compost, wormcast and manure are all organic materials which improve the structure of the soil and its ability to hold moisture. Of those three manure is also particularly rich in plant foods so could be considered as a combined soil improver and fertiliser, whereas home-made compost is a good soil-improver but relatively low in nutrients.

Liming is not something which needs to be done as a matter of course, and now is not the best time to do it; better off getting to know your soil type first.

Hope this helps (it is a subject that can get a bit too technical; basically you will not go far wrong using your home-made compost and a sprinkling of fertiliser on your plot!) 

[8doubles]

Fertilisers such as blood, fish & bone and growmore just add food for the plants , home made compost adds food and fibre which helps hold moisture and improves the texture of soil. If you put plenty of compost and manure in you will as you say have plenty of your own worms to provide casts.

I wonder where wormcast comes from ? Sweepings off the greens at golf courses ?
Or is it just another name for composted manure but more expensive.

[sclarke624]

JayG what is liming and what does it do?

I wonder then if you had a raised bed, with weed suppressant on the bottom or if it was on concrete, if it would be beneficial to get a bag of worms like the ones you get for your wormery?

[Aidy]

Liming will serve two main purposes, it alters the ph of the soil so plants like brassicas prefer a less acidic soil, it will sweeten the earth helping to release trapped nutrients and will help to knock clubroot back if you have it. Bad for spuds as it will cuase scab big time.

[JayG]

JayG what is liming and what does it do?

It is the addition of slaked lime or ground limestone to soil to raise the pH of excessively acidic soils (i.e. makes them more alkaline).

I wonder then if you had a raised bed, with weed suppressant on the bottom or if it was on concrete, if it would be beneficial to get a bag of worms like the ones you get for your wormery?

Always good to have worms in the soil and is a sign of healthy soil with plenty of humus in it. If you have really managed to isolate your bed completely from worms then I think the common earthworm is a better bet than wormery worms which would not do well in open ground.

[sclarke624]

Thanks

[Trillium]

I wonder where wormcast comes from ? Sweepings off the greens at golf courses ?
Or is it just another name for composted manure but more expensive.

Worm casts is literally worm poo, and worms are actually grown in large buildings. The worms grow in large 'bins' for lack of a better word in the buildings, fed the right sort of foods and scraps, and every so often the worms are carefully gathered out of their bins, sized as either adults for sale to home worm composters or babies which will be kept to grow onto adults to then leave more babies, etc.

It's quite labour intensive as no machine can safely gather the worms without harming them.They're also the right type of worms, aka red wigglers, rather than common earthworms, which produce richer manure. So the end cost is higher but a small bag is very rich and needs to be diluted in whatever manure you're using it in.

[webwahm]

JayG - so you don't recommend adding lime now, even though I've a couple of weeks before I get my plants?  I'm thinking the soil is acidic since we've had some lush dandelions and nettles springing up (I think that's the 'acidic' sign?)

[JayG]

You're really putting me on the spot here webwahm but I believe soil which supports good nettle and dandelion populations is good soil, and dandelions prefer slightly alkaline soil, so I think you probably have nothing to worry about.

Liming is normally done in winter because it takes quite a long time to take effect and can affect the soil chemistry for a while. If you remain concerned the best thing to do is buy a pH test kit but I can't help getting the impression you really don't need such complications at this stage!