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When is it best to recharge the soil?

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  • When is it best to recharge the soil?

    About to pull out the corn remains, and Tomato plants will soon be empty so can be pulled too? I assume they wont survive winter outside.

    Looking at replacing it with Garlic to cover the use until next season (may) for more of the same.

    When is it best, therefore, to recharge the bed with some nutrients? Thinking of some bloodfish & bonemeal, as well as a generous mix of Chicken pellets plus a top up of compost to bring the level back up (has dropped 4" without lifting anything).

  • #2
    I would rake in a handful of bonemeal to the square yd at planting time. The phosphate in BM will assist root growth. The very slow release nitro in it should see stuff through the winter.
    In spring you could add BFB or chicken pellets once regrowth starts.

    Basically, you don't want to be adding anything now, which will promote lush growth unable to stand the rigours of winter.
    My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
    to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

    Diversify & prosper


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    • #3
      For my overwintered beans & onions i have dug in compost. I assumed they at least required some form of nutrient to grow !
      Never mind the TWADDLE here's the SIX PETALS.

      http://vertagus.blogspot.com/ Annual seedlings.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by gadgetman View Post
        About to pull out the corn remains,
        I leave mine standing over winter. Already there are lots of ladybirds tucked up in them, hibernating.

        The plants will gradually break down over winter, and be much easier to compost in March when I need the ground.
        All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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        • #5
          I'd go with Snadger on this one, but if you've got any beds that are going to be left empty you could top them up with rotted compost or manure and leave for the worms to drag it in.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post
            I leave mine standing over winter. Already there are lots of ladybirds tucked up in them, hibernating.

            The plants will gradually break down over winter, and be much easier to compost in March when I need the ground.
            That's really useful advise TS. I was planning to pull mine up this weekend, but if its providing an overwintering habitat for the ladies, I'm leaving it where it is!!

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Pumpkin Becki View Post
              That's really useful advise TS. I was planning to pull mine up this weekend, but if its providing an overwintering habitat for the ladies, I'm leaving it where it is!!
              Me too! Thanks TS. Hopefully this will give a headstart if we suffer from greenfly swarms again next year


              Are the Tom's OK to pull in a few weeks though?


              And Thanks Snadger. Will add some bonemeal to tick over with, then dig in the rest when I lift the Garlic and put in my summer crops next year.

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              • #8
                knowwhat you mean TS, I pulled mine up but stacked them in an old leaking water butt so they could keep their homes
                Never test the depth of the water with both feet

                The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory....

                Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.

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                • #9
                  Tomato plants will soon be empty so can be pulled too? I assume they wont survive winter outside
                  I don't know about all the rest, but isn't there a theory that you can put your toms in a pot overwinter somewhere not too cool and dry, and they will come back again very vigorously in spring, because in the wild they normally have something like a 5 year lifespan ?
                  As far as recharging the soil is concerned, I was always under the impression that the difference between summer and winter was just the speed at which nutrients are absorbed/lost by bare soil. So the process is always the same, just that sometimes adding manure etc takes longer to take effect.
                  There's no point reading history if you don't use the lessons it teaches.

                  Head-hunted member of the Nutter's Club - can I get my cranium back please ?

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                  • #10
                    Now I'm really confused what, when etc to do.

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                    • #11
                      If you're not growing much it seems pointless to add nutrients that will only get washed out by the winter rain. The compost will help the soil structure so that's OK but I'd leave off the BFB etc till next spring.

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                      • #12
                        Two Sheds
                        Useful tip re sweetcorn. Mine is in a bed I can't use now until the Spring due to waterlogging corner of the allotment so will leave it in and not seek to look too tidy!

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                        • #13
                          I think the way to go is compost/manure/leaf mould now to improve soil structure, but leave off feeding (such as BFB) until the Spring.
                          Growing in the Garden of England

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by gadgetman View Post
                            Now I'm really confused what, when etc to do.
                            Chicken poo, BFB and all the other fertilisers, are to feed the plants. If you don't have any plants in, you don't need to feed.

                            Compost and leafmould are soil improvers ... helping with soil structure (they aren't a feed) and they can go on as a mulch any time really. The worms will dig it in for you.
                            All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                            • #15
                              I'd suggest a green manure here too. I've had great success with overwintered hungarian grazing rye. Really improve the strucuture of my manky clay with their roots and then chopped up and dug in in early spring. You could sow it around the corn left for the ladybirds and chop it all back when they're out of hibernation

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