Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi All

We moved in to the current house around 3yrs ago. The garden is somewhat larger than we are used to at around half to three-quarters of an acre and was predominantly brambles and over-grown shrubs/trees. We've cleared the majority of this and dug in (as much as we can given that the ground is extremely stoney and full of tree roots)lots of leaf litter and home compost. However, we still can't get a decent crop from anything we grow. Peas maybe one or two plants germinate, tatties will give half a dozen or so per plant, corn....... one or two per dozen sown. The only things that have grown well are the tomatoes and courgettes that I had in the greenhouse.

Is this probably because of the trees surrounding the garden and the brambles that were in the garden having leached all the nutrients out of the soil? We had a tiny garden where we lived before and the harvest was far in excess of what we get from this huge garden!!!

You would do well to have a soil analysis, N,P,K, and pH. You can get a kit or send away a sample of your soil for analysis, the RHS does a service for members.
Leafmould is an excellent growing madium but is very low on minerals. FYM of horse manure would give more nutients but still needs supplementary balance in the longer term.
You don't say what degree of shade there is or whether the trees could still be robbing the ground not only of nutrients but even water at critical times.
If all that doesn't appeal it could be worthwhile to build beds on top of the existing soil and in effect create a growing medium to suit your requirements. Growbags would be an even quicker start and when exhausted can improve the soil structure. Remember to feed the growbags however as the nutrients in them are for short term.
A special note on peas, mice may be at work on them witout your knowledge, many forum members are starting in containers then planting out.
Corn is best started in pots or modules to extend the growing season.
Some people still say to break-in ground, however I wouldn't try them until the ground was already in a fit state. In my experience growing from once-kept seeds or even later can materially increase the crop.
Allan

Allan

N = Nitogen (yes?) what's P and K please?

Chantal, don't think Allan will mind me answering this.
N = Nitrogen
P = Phosphorus
K = Potassium

Kind regards Old Herbaceous.

Thers no fool like an old fool.

Thank you, I always was crap at chemistry.

Thanks Allan. The garden still contains an orchard [hugely overgrown] which we are pruning back gradually. Rhus which has suckered everywhere and the occaisional bramble patch. There are also 2 very mature oak trees in the woodland area of the garden which do shade the top area a little, although the garden is south facing and gets very hot so a little shade is not necessarily a bad thing I thought
I haven't done a soil analysis yet, must get down to the garden centre but hubbie doesn't like me going 'cause I always spend too much on plants , but the soil is predominantly clay and some areas can be wet due to the stream running past the lower area.
Have just found someone who sells manure and hope to be able to get them to deliver it. Part of the problem is the digging....... it took a whole weekend just to do an area that would plant 2 rows of potatoes courtesy of all the stones, some of which were boulder sized and took two of us to roll out of the hole. This alone has made us consider the raised beds option. Methinks we'd better stay in this house a long while 'cause it's going to take forever to get on top of!!

Re: peas.....

My grandfather always soaked his peas in paraffin before sowing them. Is this a good idea? He always had a fantastic pea crop [which I could usually be found hiding in and eating ]

Thanks to OH for deputising, to guild the lily one refers to nitrates (or nitrites), phosphates and potassium compounds, potassium being a metal comes at the beginning of the compound's name. They are all indespensable but widely different in their effect.
One would not be concerned about the actual atoms in terms of nutrients, the plants can only take these up as soluble salts even though nitrogen is plentiful in air it has to be 'fixed' into a salt solution to be used by the plant.Do try to get genned up on this subject as it is vital to know what happens when things go wrong in the garden.
End of mini-topic.
Allan

On the central topic I would reckon that your average tree is having an effect with its root system in an area of twice the spread of its branches so in this particular case you could find that you won't have very much ground that is not affected. When one considers the shade pattern as well that probably presents you with quite a restricted area for optimum results from your efforts.
Have you ever looked at an area of countryside where stone walls predominate e.g. Derbyshire, Somerset or Wales. The walls are there to contain the grazing animals but just as important as a means of reducing the amount of free stone in the middle soil. It's quite a problem. In contrast at my 'farm' it is something of an event to find any stones at all over most of the ground.
Allan

If you want some success with your veg without waiting for years I think you're on the right track with raised beds.Build some sides and fill with top soil and muck (all buy-in-able)and at least you'll be able to grow something while you sort out the ground,otherwise I can see severe disappointment looming which could put you off veggie growing for life!

thanks everyone. I shall consider my options while I get a soil testing kit.... but think the raised bed option is top of the list.