Flooding

If you would like advice from the Kitchen Garden editorial team, ask here. Steve, Emma or Tony will pop in with their best advice.

Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter

Connie777
KG Regular
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed May 22, 2019 7:06 pm

Hi all, I had my plot flooded on 17th March of all days lol! & the soil is heavy clay, it was claggy for ages then eventually plantable, only problem now it has no sustenance in it, I have thrown on some growmore but, don’t know what else to do? Any ideas please?
Stephen
KG Regular
Posts: 1869
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:03 pm
Location: Butts Meadow, Berkhamsted
Been thanked: 2 times

Hi Connie
Sorry to hear of your flood. Here in the Chilterns we have clay and chalk, but as I am on the upper section of a slope, excess water runs off, so I have no direct experience.

How about liquid feed added as you water?
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
Westi
KG Regular
Posts: 5908
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset
Has thanked: 671 times
Been thanked: 238 times

Welcome to the forum Connie777!

I would just focus on the planting holes to support each plant then work on the rest of the beds out of season. Time is ticking for planting so treat each individual plant to what they need, like make sure all the compost from the pot is in the hole (& a bit more), then support them with a foliar feed of seaweed as well. If sowing direct put some compost in a dug out trench to get them started. Clay is pants to us, but they will have moisture & nutrients below & the roots, if supported when tiny will go down to find it!
Westi
robo
KG Regular
Posts: 2808
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:22 pm
Location: st.helens
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 56 times

Have you tested your soil if not you may get a surprise ,welcome to the forum from myself
Colin2016
KG Regular
Posts: 944
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2016 3:33 pm
Location: North Norfolk Coast
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 57 times

Have you looked at No Dig? ...Add 6 inches of compost and get planting.
Connie777
KG Regular
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed May 22, 2019 7:06 pm

Hi All, some good advice there, thankyou for taking the time to reply, actually I have been considering no dig? & maybe green manure in the Autumn? Someone on the site near me did a soil test in early April & found the soil to be low in nitrates?? So for now I have resorted to a natural Plant food , made from a powdered compound i got from Marshalls seeds
User avatar
KG Steve
KG Editor
Posts: 238
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 4:35 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

For now Connie I'd concentrate on the planting holes as others have said - adding your preferred nutrients as you go, then you can top up with mulches as suggested above around hungry plants such as squashes and in the autumn either dig in or just lay over the top plenty of well rotted manure or garden compost if you have it.

Nitrates are easily washed from the soil - flood or not - and so you'll need to top these up as the crops develop. A liquid feed is one way eg home-made nettle feeds or Miracle-Gro etc from the garden centre, but don't overdo it or you'll get lots of leaves at the expense of crop. A more balanced feed such as a tomato food might be better for a big range of crops.
Steve Ott
Kitchen Garden Editor
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic