[gardgydja]

My life has been very hectic but my allotment is still with me 
I hope you are all well and have had happy holidays, we certainly did as we avoided the flu this year!

I am sitting dreaming of what to plant this year and how to hopefully get better harvests. The main problem on my plot is the poor soil. I might be able to get a couple of tonnes of manure from an organic beef farmer and I intend to make raised beds this year and fill them up with that, but what else do I need to add to the mix for each type of veg?

I will be growing -

tomatoes, chilis, cucumbers (in a mini polytunnel)
salads
broccoli
carrots
onions and leeks
peas and beans
potatoes
summer squash
winter squash

Thank you!
Melissa

[sunshineband]

Hello and Happy New Year to you. Glad you are well.

If you are just filling your beds with amnure you might find it difficult to grow much except pumpkins tbh.

If it is well rotted you coud incorporate it into your sol and this would help it's fertility. Is this waht you mean to do? 

[bigben]

Do a search on some of the green manures - I have not used them but others swear by them for improving soil - the problem with just adding tonnes of Manure is it unbalances the soil make up. Some is useful but it is meant to be a soil improver not soil replacement.  Spuds will like it if it has been well rotted, perhaps use some in beds for them and other veg that like it and get some green manures in for other sections to improve fertility.

[gardgydja]

Thank you for the replies. Sorry I am so unclear. Yes, I mean to mix it into the poor sandy soil I have now, and it is well-rotted and dried, whatever that means! (the farmer said it was my choice to get it damp or dry)

I have tried buying bags of manure here and there and adding them to my beds but what I suspect I really need is a couple of tonnes and a new start. I don't want to ruin anything so this is why I am asking advice before I actually go and get the stuff.

The soil I have now is sandy, very well draining, and light textured. Potatoes and carrots grow well (by this I mean nicely shaped) in it but I don't get much of a crop of potatoes, maybe 5 off a plant, and the carrots get fly no matter what I do. Other root veg is mostly leaves, no root to speak of. Peas and beans do ok, squash not very well, cucumbers not very well, salads bolt, tomatoes did well but I fed them constantly, onions not very well, tiny leeks.

Surely what I need is lots of organic matter to hold some moisture, and more food for the plants, depending on what they like?

I so love just being out on my plot but I also want to start producing better food there.

[robinsnest]

Your sandy soil will be ideal for growing carrots and roots, as they don't like soil that is too rich.
That could be a reason for the leaves and no roots, also don't water carrots too often as the idea is for the root to grow long to search for water.

Hope this is some help.