How to create the perfect soil for annual flowers
 

Sacha wrote:
On 17/3/08 17:27, in article
,
"bobharvey" wrote:
snip
As I explained, for practical reasons I am limited to what I can buy
from a garden centre, so what do I buy that will do the same as "adding
organic matter"?

If it's available to you, straw or spent mushroom compost is good. Some
places might make a small charge for delivering.

Thanks. I'll keep an eye out.

How to create the perfect soil for annual flowers
 

Stuart Noble wrote:
Jeff Layman wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
Ornata wrote:
On 17 Mar, 09:22, "Jeff Layman" wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
Having a small garden with sandy/stony soil, I've decided to
start from scratch on a couple of raised beds by ditching the
existing soil and replacing it with something better. As this is
a small project, I don't care about the cost of materials but
they need to be available from the garden centre in 25kg bags.
Am I right in thinking that general purpose compost and sharp
sand should form the bulk? Things seem to grow well enough in
that medium but for how long? As a compost bin isn't practical
for me, can I buy the equivalent as a commercial product? Maybe a
Phostrogen type liquid feed would be as good?
Any advice appreciated
As you have sandy/stony soil, I do not understand why you need to
buy sharp sand to make up your growing medium. Why not get twice
as much decent compost or manure, and mix your current garden soil
with that? If you don't have enough composted material in your
soil, you'll be
forever watering if we have a dry summer.

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)
Maybe I have the wrong impression of the conditions in your
garden.. but sandy/stony soil sounds the perfect growing medium
for lots of annuals - most don't need a rich soil. I'd just keep
adding plenty of organic matter to the existing soil.
As I explained, for practical reasons I am limited to what I can buy
from a garden centre, so what do I buy that will do the same as
"adding organic matter"?

Composted bark, other composted matter, John Innes 3. Any general
purpose compost.

Thanks for replying
It looks as though the latter consists of:

7 Loam
3 Peat
2 Sand


to which

0.6kg ground limestone
3.6kg hoof and horn meal
3.6kg superphosphate
1.8kg potassium sulphate

is added per cubic metre

Just because you want to grow annuals it doesn't mean that you have
to go with poor soil. If you use rich soil the annuals will still
grow well, and you won't have to add fertilisers for a year or two.

It also says, "nutrients are typically sufficient for 1-2 months of
growing, after which time additional proprietary feed should be
given". Doesn't sound very long does it? I imagine "topsoil" and
"loam" are pretty much the same thing?

It doesn't sound very long, but they are probably erring on the side of
caution. I would be most surprised if you didn't get a good display of
annuals without additional feeding. Remember too that hoof and horn meal is
effectively a "slow-release" fertiliser, as it takes time to break down in
the soil. Salts like Potassium sulphate are very soluble in water and will
get quickly washed out of sandy soil. Soils containing clay and humus hang
on to soluble material much better.

I would agree with you that topsoil and loam are pretty much the same thing.

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)

How to create the perfect soil for annual flowers
 

Jeff Layman wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
Jeff Layman wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
Ornata wrote:
On 17 Mar, 09:22, "Jeff Layman" wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
Having a small garden with sandy/stony soil, I've decided to
start from scratch on a couple of raised beds by ditching the
existing soil and replacing it with something better. As this is
a small project, I don't care about the cost of materials but
they need to be available from the garden centre in 25kg bags.
Am I right in thinking that general purpose compost and sharp
sand should form the bulk? Things seem to grow well enough in
that medium but for how long? As a compost bin isn't practical
for me, can I buy the equivalent as a commercial product? Maybe a
Phostrogen type liquid feed would be as good?
Any advice appreciated
As you have sandy/stony soil, I do not understand why you need to
buy sharp sand to make up your growing medium. Why not get twice
as much decent compost or manure, and mix your current garden soil
with that? If you don't have enough composted material in your
soil, you'll be
forever watering if we have a dry summer.

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)
Maybe I have the wrong impression of the conditions in your
garden.. but sandy/stony soil sounds the perfect growing medium
for lots of annuals - most don't need a rich soil. I'd just keep
adding plenty of organic matter to the existing soil.
As I explained, for practical reasons I am limited to what I can buy
from a garden centre, so what do I buy that will do the same as
"adding organic matter"?
Composted bark, other composted matter, John Innes 3. Any general
purpose compost.
Thanks for replying
It looks as though the latter consists of:

7 Loam
3 Peat
2 Sand


to which

0.6kg ground limestone
3.6kg hoof and horn meal
3.6kg superphosphate
1.8kg potassium sulphate

is added per cubic metre
Just because you want to grow annuals it doesn't mean that you have
to go with poor soil. If you use rich soil the annuals will still
grow well, and you won't have to add fertilisers for a year or two.

It also says, "nutrients are typically sufficient for 1-2 months of
growing, after which time additional proprietary feed should be
given". Doesn't sound very long does it? I imagine "topsoil" and
"loam" are pretty much the same thing?

It doesn't sound very long, but they are probably erring on the side of
caution. I would be most surprised if you didn't get a good display of
annuals without additional feeding. Remember too that hoof and horn meal is
effectively a "slow-release" fertiliser, as it takes time to break down in
the soil. Salts like Potassium sulphate are very soluble in water and will
get quickly washed out of sandy soil. Soils containing clay and humus hang
on to soluble material much better.

I would agree with you that topsoil and loam are pretty much the same thing.


Thanks. Now I know what the basic ingredients are I can hopefully just
add what I think I'm short of :-)

How to create the perfect soil for annual flowers
 

On Mar 17, 2:22*pm, "Jeff Layman" wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
Having a small garden with sandy/stony soil, I've decided to start
from scratch on a couple of raised beds by ditching the existing soil
and replacing it with something better. As this is a small project, I
don't care about the cost of materials but they need to be available
from the garden centre in 25kg bags.
Am I right in thinking that general purpose compost and sharp sand
should form the bulk? Things seem to grow well enough in that medium
but for how long? As a compost bin isn't practical for me, can I buy
the equivalent as a commercial product? Maybe a Phostrogen type
liquid feed would be as good?
Any advice appreciated

As you have sandy/stony soil, I do not understand why you need to buy sharp
sand to make up your growing medium. *Why not get twice as much decent
compost or manure, and mix your current garden soil with that?

If you don't have enough composted material in your soil, you'll be forever
watering if we have a dry summer.

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)

Do you have a pH meter to check your soil
B.Shah

How to create the perfect soil for annual flowers
 

On Mar 17, 3:14*pm, Stuart Noble
wrote:
Ornata wrote:
On 17 Mar, 09:22, "Jeff Layman" wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
Having a small garden with sandy/stony soil, I've decided to start
from scratch on a couple of raised beds by ditching the existing soil
and replacing it with something better. As this is a small project, I
don't care about the cost of materials but they need to be available
from the garden centre in 25kg bags.
Am I right in thinking that general purpose compost and sharp sand
should form the bulk? Things seem to grow well enough in that medium
but for how long? As a compost bin isn't practical for me, can I buy
the equivalent as a commercial product? Maybe a Phostrogen type
liquid feed would be as good?
Any advice appreciated
As you have sandy/stony soil, I do not understand why you need to buy sharp
sand to make up your growing medium. *Why not get twice as much decent
compost or manure, and mix your current garden soil with that?

If you don't have enough composted material in your soil, you'll be forever
watering if we have a dry summer.

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)

Maybe I have the wrong impression of the conditions in your garden..
but sandy/stony soil sounds the perfect growing medium for lots of
annuals - most don't need a rich soil. *I'd just keep adding plenty of
organic matter to the existing soil.

As I explained, for practical reasons I am limited to what I can buy
from a garden centre, so what do I buy that will do the same as "adding
organic matter"?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Are your plants not growing normally, What is the pH content of your
soil.?
If it is not growing normally, then put a Rusty nail
5inches away dig a hole 3inches place the nail and cover spring a
little water, this will raise the iron content from 0.04 to 0.07 and
the problem will be solved. Further questions I am an organic gardener
the Eastern Way

How to create the perfect soil for annual flowers
 

On 19 Apr, 13:36, shahwin wrote:
On Mar 17, 2:22*pm, "Jeff Layman" wrote:





Stuart Noble wrote:
Having a small garden with sandy/stony soil, I've decided to start
from scratch on a couple of raised beds by ditching the existing soil
and replacing it with something better. As this is a small project, I
don't care about the cost of materials but they need to be available
from the garden centre in 25kg bags.
Am I right in thinking that general purpose compost and sharp sand
should form the bulk? Things seem to grow well enough in that medium
but for how long? As a compost bin isn't practical for me, can I buy
the equivalent as a commercial product? Maybe a Phostrogen type
liquid feed would be as good?
Any advice appreciated

As you have sandy/stony soil, I do not understand why you need to buy sharp
sand to make up your growing medium. *Why not get twice as much decent
compost or manure, and mix your current garden soil with that?

If you don't have enough composted material in your soil, you'll be forever
watering if we have a dry summer.

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)

Do you have a pH meter to check your soil
B.Shah- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If you buy a Ph meterjust be carefull. check that it is reading OK, I
bought one a few weeks ago, I was supprised to find the field which
hadnt seen any lime for 3 years was giving me a ph reading of 7.5 to 8
and according to it Vinegar was extremly Alkaline, I complained to the
firm importing them and they sent me another , same results, I had to
reverse the wires to get an accurate reading
A lot of these things are mass produced in china ........I say no
more, the old Ph testing kit is a safer bet for small tests.
David Hill