chips in soil

[defcom]

ive got chip in my soil loads of them , my garden was chipped before i got the minidigger in to move it around , ive tried raking them out but theres like tons of them ,will this hamper the roots of any veg i try in grow its good top soil but with a mix of chips in.

[Sanjo]

Things like carrots and parsnips won't like them but if the topsoil is good then things should still grow. I'd rake out what I could as I went along so that over a period of time the soil improves. I wouldn't remove all of them though as they must help with drainage?

[Jeanied]

How are you wanting to grow your veg? If you want to mark out beds and paths, you could rake some of the chippings up to make your paths.

[defcom]

i want to plant it as it is ,diff section for diff veg,they must be the best part of 2 tons of chipped mixed in the deeper u dig the more chips come up, its a bit of a nightmare but saying that u think if i planted in it stuff will grow, my vision is not to buy veg again ,so really i want to grow everything that will grow outdoors and poly tunnel for greenhouse veg.

[Jeanied]

To be honest, if I were you I'd make some deep beds with timber and put some good stuff to grow your veg in those - maybe adding sieved soil as well. I think very gravelly soil would only suit the non-root veg and it sounds like you want to grow the full range.

[defcom]

i think i go down this route,YouTube - pete's soil sieve in action 5my maunel seive is so backbreaking.

[FionaH]

I manually seived my pottager last summer and it was backbreaking all right! For veg I would go with raised beds tbh

[zazen999]

I'd build a separate raised bed for the deep roots and just sieve into that. It can sit on your other beds, and be moved round the plot each time you sow. I've got about 8 of them now and when I can't dig deep to sieve my thick clay I use those and sieve the clay with coffee grounds and sand and anything else I've got to help break it up.

[Snadger]

A lot of topsoil suppliers tend to mix sand and dolmite chippings into the soil to make it go further.
If it's dolomite chips, its a type of limestone and your brassicas will love it!

[geoff]

Get a garden seive aka a riddle with a mesh to suit the chippings, ie the holes must be just a bit smaller than the chips. This will be hard, tedious work so don't try to do it all at once, maybe just a bit each time you visit the garden. It will take a long time, but it will do the job; clear a small area at a time
You could use the chippings for paths or to make your own concrete
Could make your own riddle from chicken wire or similar if you can get the right size

[Snadger]

Small stones aren't necessarily a bad thing.......just remember there's always moisture under a stone!

[bramble]

Stones also keep the soil warm. I would just build a deep raised bed for the carrots and parsnips and leave the rest as it is.
You can rake it off a little year wehen the crops ate finished. I'm sure it will be fine.

[defcom]

new siev

well after last year sieveing the lawn by hand ive made thsi, works great with the gravel just need the earth to dry out a bit.



no more backbreak.;0

[FionaH]

Seriously impressed, MrH said it looks fab too!

[Snadger]

Like the use of a sack barrow on the base!