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gil Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 08 Jun 2005 Posts: 18415
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Nick
Joined: 02 Nov 2004 Posts: 34535 Location: Hereford
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gil Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 08 Jun 2005 Posts: 18415
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Posted: Mon May 18, 09 10:59 am Post subject: |
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Nick wrote: |
And mine! And it's compacted badly, possibly due to it being under water 18 months ago, and having pigs on it for a few months more recently. Mixing it 30/60 with mushroom compost has made it very useable, but I have some massive mushrooms growing where my beans should be... |
The pigs will certainly have compacted the soil structure, and the waterlogging will have created anaerobic conditions that do the soil no good - you may need to do some deep digging.
Have you tried digging an exploratory hole and looking at the soil profile ? Dig down as far as you can [at least 1.5-2 feet], and see what it looks like, and feels and smells like.
If you've got grey/blue/yellowish areas that smell 'off' and not like good fresh soil, they need to be dug over to aerate them so the soil microorganisms can revive and start working again.
The more compost you can make and mix in to give your soil some body and structure, the better.
Also, when soil waterlogs and compacts, it becomes more acid.
May be worth checking the pH with a cheap kit from a DIY place [they work well], and if too acid, think about adding a dressing of lime in the autumn. |
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mark
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gil Downsizer Moderator
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