Making our new garden ready for use, how?

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

Elmigo
KG Regular
Posts: 487
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 12:54 pm

Moving to our house with garden may take a couple of months longer than expected, it gets renovated first. But what about the soil in our future garden?

In the balcony containers I use 100% bio/organic/vegan/natural soil and use no pesticides at all. Now I don't know what the previous owner of the house did to the garden. How can I make sure the soil in there is safe to use? And even more important, how do I make sure the soil is as much bio/organic/natural stuff as possible? Do I have to soak the land completely and simply add a new layer of soil to it? How do I do this?
Westi
KG Regular
Posts: 5908
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset
Has thanked: 671 times
Been thanked: 238 times

I believe that even the non organic stuff has a life span before it is dispersed into harmless - unfortunately into the waterways mostly. Your new soil without the other resident in the mix for several months will be fine - don't angst! It will be washed down & out even if they even actually used it - you don't know that! Don't create problems, just grow!
Westi
Elmigo
KG Regular
Posts: 487
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 12:54 pm

Well I guess I'll just see it then. You're probably right, it gets washed out if we see enough rainfall this summer :lol:
User avatar
Geoff
KG Regular
Posts: 5574
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:33 pm
Location: Forest of Bowland
Been thanked: 129 times

Looking at your photo on the other thread a couple of things come to mind. Is it a slope or is that just the photo angle / lens? If so I think a little retaining wall would be helpful. Are you planning to keep anything like the rose bush and whatever is on the right? If not get a skip or take a few trips to the tip and strip everything out. I guess in Holland you can get municipal composted waste, if so I would dig it over digging some in then mulch it with some more. If you can get that done by the Autumn it would be in great condition to use next Spring. Judging by what you grow on your balcony you'll be after bananas for it! Good luck anyway, it will feel great to have a proper plot after the balcony.
Elmigo
KG Regular
Posts: 487
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 12:54 pm

The way I currently see things, the figurative banana phrase doesn't even sound as crazy anymore. In Holland sloped gardens are close to none. Would love so much to visit the countryside of Ireland someday!
User avatar
Primrose
KG Regular
Posts: 8054
Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:50 pm
Location: Bucks.
Has thanked: 37 times
Been thanked: 281 times

Sounds a bit crazy as I know empty pots would be easier to move but growing a few winter Vegs in pots you can just safely leave somewhere in the garden will give you the freedom to be drastic straight away with your shrub clearance programme which is probably the first priority.

If things have got to go, be ruthless as quickly as possible so you have a good skeleton area to work with. I wouldn,t worry about anything in the soil the previous occupants may have added. As has been stated already, it will wash out. Just clear, dig and prepare prepare what areas you can if you already have a plan in your mind. Some outdoor work will still be possible in autumn and winter so if gardening and growing is your key passion save indoor decorating for the rainy wet days!

I can imagine just how impatient you are to get moving with this project. Just remind yourself that everything will probably take twice as long as you anticipate so perhaps be realistic about what its possible to achieve in the first few months, especially given that you're working during the week. Do you have a partner who's an enthusiastic extra source of help? Extra hands obviously make the work lighter! And remember too, all this physical activity will save your gym membership fee!
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic