In article ,
Terryc wrote:

Our major problem is stuff below the ground is only small. We still need
to crack the problem.

We are currently debating 4 tonne of river sand to improve drainage, The
beds are raised 2'-4' but it is heavy clay derived soil and I think some
stuff just doesn't like it.

Correct. Carrots will fork in clay soil; they grow happily in a bucket of
sand. Most root crops produce well in soil they can get through fairly
easily.

I'd go for raising the beds -- if you have a 2" bed you will have 2" carrots,
and so on. Nothing wrong with adding SOME sand, as long as you are getting it
cheap and it is fairly coarse. Fine sand will just wash out of raised beds,
unless there is lots of organic matter to hold it in place. I'd be going for
straw and manure, personally.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/

Chookie wrote:
I'd be going for straw and manure, personally.

Unfortunately, all the cheap/free sources are a bit lacking in the
manure part.

The rabbit and horse bedding I can get is 90% wood shavings.

But, we keep piling it on and it is slowly working for other stuff.

In article ,
Terryc wrote:

Chookie wrote:
I'd be going for straw and manure, personally.

Unfortunately, all the cheap/free sources are a bit lacking in the
manure part.

The rabbit and horse bedding I can get is 90% wood shavings.

I think that's pretty much right -- doesn't compost need one part nitrogenous
matter to 9 parts carboniferous?

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/