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Improving soil and where to go from here

• Message 1. 

  Posted by CelSue (U5036102) on Thursday, 23rd February 2012

  I'm about to start my second full season with my latest garden and some things are going well but there's a problem and I'm not sure where to go from here.
  
  The veg patch was part of the lawn which I dug out. I've now dug in 2 lots of manure and one of my own compost. I'm in the south east so it's dry but I water every day (controlled and usually rainwater). The top soil was quite sandy but has improved. There are a couple of trees within a few metres of the veg patch, one of which I'll take out, the other is waiting for a tree surgeon to help me. It's a sunny patch, getting the sun all day.
  
  The problem is, a lot of the veg, eg broccoli, leeks don't thrive and grow to a good size. The runner and broad beans did well last year, the leeks, parsnips, beetroot, broccoli failed to reach a good size.
  
  Anyone got any suggestions as to anything else I can do that would help? Veg with a short growing season, for example?
  
  Thanks,
  
  CelSue

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by devonbutterflyblue1 (U15159586) on Thursday, 23rd February 2012

  I’m so envious, I have the opposite problem with the allotment living well up to the local saying of ‘it doesn’t rain, it pours’. ( ha, talk about the grass is greener syndrome..) Personally I would grow plants tailored more towards dried conditions such as Garlic ( esp. the large, bulbous French varieties), Onions, Shallots, Endive, Globe Artichoke ( not to sure about the Jerusalem form).
  I would persevere with root vegetables such as Parsnip & Carrots as they benefit from light, sandy soil as it reduces the risk of some common diseases taking hold & allows easy, uninterrupted growth (else I always find you end digging up something that looks a lot like a lovechild between dog leavings & little alien men).
  Any legumes (Peas & Beans) are nitrogenous fixers & well worth their weight in gold - for their soil improvement qualities as well as their taste – and even though potatoes prefer quite humus enriched ground I have found the heritage var. ‘Pink Fir Apple’ (C.1850 I’ve been told) really doesn’t mind where they go.
  The issue with small stature of your brassicas could be the soil acidity rather the soil structure itself. Brassicas prefer a good dosing of lime - as slightly alkali soil is it forte- and as previously mentioned you added manure which itself is slightly acidic, so a bit of soil neutralisation may be on the cards [ PH testers can be obtained fairly inexpensively nowadays]. The leeks however like to up to their eyeballs in muck & plenty of water thus if you can replicate their home environment of deepest darkest wales you can end up with little leek monsters, to which leek & potato soup will be breakfast, lunch & dinner.
  
  Don't give up your doing great!
  
  Butterflyblue
  

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by As-If (U15116884) on Friday, 24th February 2012

  Good advice from Devonbutterfly.
  I`d just add, you are already doing fine, it seems to me that the only thing you`ve left out of the equation is - time -
  It takes time for soil to become well cultivated.
  As you look after it over the years it will get better and become more productive.

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by CelSue (U5036102) on Saturday, 25th February 2012

  Thanks for the advice, will be buying a soil testing kit today and will try and be more patient. I guess I was lucky with my last garden as it was productive really quickly whereas the neighbours say this one has been lawn as long as they've know, that is back to 1970.
  
  There's no chance of me stopping, I love gardening. I started when I was working when I found a great antidote to stress and a bad day was to go out and dig.
  
  Must go, have tomatoes and chillis to plant!
  
  CelSue

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