"soulman" wrote in message
...

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On 24 Apr 2009 08:50:14 GMT, Derek Turner
wrote:

On Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:16:11 +0100, soulman wrote:

Just finish making another raised bed, and could do with some
more soil.
I have a very dark brown soil and managed to get some
orange/brown(clay
like?) soil from a local skip company for free which I've mixed.
Is it
better to mix homebase(any mass produced) compost/topsoil or just
leave
the soil I got as it is?
I presume soil is more nutritional that prepackaged compost?

thanks jase.

IIWY I'd Google 'subsoil' before using that free stuff at all. My
guess
is that it's worth precisely what you paid for it. I hope I''m
wrong.
Google 'topsoil' while you're about it!

It could be contaminated earth.
--

Martin


The soil came from a skip that had been excavated from a garden,
some of it still had grass roots so I don't think is
subsoil.(although not sure what garden!). The thing is when I went
to a few garden places the top soil was nothing like normal topsoil,
it seemed to be more like a finer manufactured compost? would this
be as nutritional? or will any compost be good enough to bulk out
what I have? I did add some general purpose fertilizer.

sorry for the questions, google is a world of info, but there's also
aload of shite! not quite as good as experiances of real people

thanks jase.


Jase,

it'll be fine.

Make sure you do get rid of the roots of those grasses.

Gradually (I mean over a number of years), in the Autumn, mix in your
own composted stuff, a little sand and a little lime and the clay will
break down, be more workable and release its nutrients to the roots of
plants.

Making your own compost from weeds, kitchen waste, shredded paper and
even plants grown for composting will help you create very fertile,
workable soil. I go around collecting nettle stalks and leaves around
the allotment pathways to boost the pile and add Yarrow which is easy
to grow from seed. Nettles and Yarrow encourage the micro organisms
that make compost and it's cheaper than compost accelerators.

As long as the soil doesn't get too acidic you will be able to grow
anything the following year if you add compost, a little sand, a
little lime each Autumn. It is better to leave root veg a further year
if you have added a large amount of fresh compost or the carrots and
parsnips will grow half a dozen roots per plant.

Brassicas do prefer soil which is unworked the previous Autumn (they
wobble about in the wind and it upsets the roots and leaves holes
which attract root pests) but if you tread on it and compact it a few
times the soil would be good for brassicas too.

There's lots to learn about soil and how it works with the planting
cycle. Don't let all that put you off. Just get on with it! Good luck.

TJ