[HippyMomma]

Hey everyone,
My plot to grow is 1meter deep by approx. 3.5/4 meters. It's absolutely full of gravel so I'm going to dig it out and get the right growing medium in.
What would that be? Just compost? Soil? A combination?
How deep should I dig? It's in the top few inches but I intend to grow carrots, squash, beans, sweetcorn, potatoes, tomatoes, raspberries. Not this year obviously.
Just want to do what I can to get it going and plant what I can this year.
Thinking of doing my carrots, corn and beans in containers this year if they won't be able to go in the ground.

Thanks in advance!!

[compostqueen]

The carrots need a light soil/compost but the spuds and squash are heavy feeders and like a rich manurey soil. They will grow on just cow muck mind you. As will strawbs and sweetcorn
For rasps I would grow those in soil as they need to be permanently anchored
Tomatoes will happily grow in growbags
I wouldn't do corn in pots to be honest as they grow very tall, over six feet in some cases
Dwarf beans are fabulous and will happily grow in pots, carrots will too. I grow carrots in home made compost and they seem to do better than in just soil alone

You can have lots of fun trying out various ways of growing things. You will find through trial and error what works best for you. I would make a start though with a compost heap or a plastic bin as you can never make enough of the stuff. Kitchen waste compost is great as it contains no weed seeds and cooks quite fast in my experience.  Have fun!

[Goosegirl]

If it's full of gravel, at least you shouldn't have any drainage problems!  As BQ says, grow what you can in pots and bags to give you a head start while you are digging and replacing the soil. As it is not a huge area compared to some, I would recommend getting some good quality top soil either from a local supplier (but see it first before you buy) or if you can afford it, you can buy it in bags - bulk-buy if necessary. You can also buy rotted farmyard manure in bags which will help to improve the soil texture, plus I would get some compost as well then mix it all into your area and add some blood, fish and bone (BFB) as an added nutrient. It may be worth surrounding the area with wood or supported plastic sheeting as the final level will be quite high but will gradually settle later on. Not sure about rasps as they can spread by suckers into your area, but you can grow them in containers - see this advice from the RHS site: Container growing - Single raspberry plants can be grown in 38cm (15in) diameter containers of 80 per cent multipurpose compost and, to add weight for stability, 20 per cent loam-based potting compost, training the canes up bamboo poles. Keep the compost moist (using rainwater in hard water areas) and feed with a liquid general-purpose fertiliser on a monthly basis during the growing season.

[HippyMomma]

You're both wonderful!
Fab! I'm getting some compost tomorrow for my pots and getting going!
Thank you!!! Xx

[solway cropper]

DON'T put raspberries in the plot you have. They send out roots all over the place unless contained and will constantly come up among all your other plants. Mine are grown along a boundary fence and keep popping up in my next door neighbour's lawn a good 3-4 feet from the fence!!

[HippyMomma]

Righto Solway!  Won't do that then, plant in a big container instead? Plant in container then sink it? I'm going to be training it along wires anyway.

[Goosegirl]

Use a very big tub or plant one cane to each pot. When you sink your pots, dig a hole a bit bigger than your pot width and surround the sides with plastic (gro-bag or compost bag stuff will do). This should stop any runners shooting out of the bottom of the pots and spreading.

[HippyMomma]

Thanks goosegirl!

Digging out my raised bed today and getting the edging stones deivered tomorrow and hopefully my soil, bfb and compost just after!
Also got to fit in painting the shed and fence too!

[HippyMomma]

Goosegirl, going off your recommendation, it was to get topsoil, compost, manure and bfb right?
and mix it all in?
Just want to be sure!
Also, just to be a pain, what sort of ratio were you thinking?
xx

[HippyMomma]

Hortex dropped off the little booklet as promised.

It's offering a 3kg bag of FBB for 4.99
Good black top soil from the carrot growing fields of west lancs rich in humus, 2.99 for 25kg bag
screened black soil for 3.25 for 25kg
sterilized and granulated for 3.99 per 25kg

Also
Manure/compost 2.99 per 25kg minimum 3 bags
100% organic manure 4.99 for 50kg
chicken manure pelleted
3.99 for 3kg or 12.99 for 20kg


Sound good price wise?
Any idea on mixes?

Thanks for any help
xxxx

[Eightball]

The manure you might be able to find free if you look around.

The price for compost seems quite expensive. For example from B&Q you can get 125L for £6.

Seeing as you live near the coast I would suggest going to the beach and collecting lots of seaweed to add to your bed. Might need to check with your local council first to make sure it's ok.

[Goosegirl]

The manure you might be able to find free if you look around.

The price for compost seems quite expensive. For example from B&Q you can get 125L for £6.

Seeing as you live near the coast I would suggest going to the beach and collecting lots of seaweed to add to your bed. Might need to check with your local council first to make sure it's ok.

Hi Hiipy - you're doing good there! I'm not sure about ratios, but someone on here may have more of an idea than me. I'd try to imagine the top soil was already in there (like the beds were already established) so soil is the main component. Not knowing what depth of gravel stuff you will dig out, I'd put just top soil into the bottom half and tread it lightly down to help firm it. Then mix the compost, some manure, and the rest of the top soil together in a wheel-barrow and top up your bed almost to the top, then tread lightly on it again to firm the surface. Add the rest of your manure as a top-dressing/mulch, then sprinkle on a dusting of BFB (blood, fish and bone) - see packet instructions for quantity to use over an area. If there's no rain, use a gentle hose to water it all in and help it to settle down. Looking at what you want to grow, you could buy some outdoor toms, maybe sweetcorn and squashes, plus you're not too late to sow/plant carrots and both French and Runner beans. If you do, all will get a boost from the chicken manure pellets (except carrots maybe?). I'd just bung them in and see how it goes! 

[HippyMomma]

Eightball I think there are a few places ''over the moss'' as the locals call it on the back roads that offer it free, I'm just wanting to get going quickly at the moment so a bit of extra cost is ok.
Yikes on the B&Q compared to my prices though! Might be popping up there!

Thanks a tonne Goosegirl!! I shall take that advice!! I'm sewing my sunflowers today for Charlie in paper pots on the sil to get them going.
I keep meaning to get the carrots going but finding ten minutes to get to even the bottom of the garden lately is near impossible!

xxx

[HippyMomma]

Due to lots of stones and rubble and such im taking a spades depth out before refilling that and a foot above ground for the raised part of the bed. So there'll be a lot of space to fill! Thinking of a BIG bulk bag, like the builders ones.

[HippyMomma]

calculated the area i'm covering is THREE TONNES WORTH!!!!
Oh lord I think i'm going to faint!
It'll take 18 bags of 125L B&Q compost to cover that! £108!!! Yikes!!!

Better get my calculations going!