Soil Analysis & Manure

[Primrose]

Mandylew in the thread about Squashes wondered whether she might need a soil analysis, and this set me wondering. This year, being unable to obtain any "natural" rotted manure, I bought several sealed bags of it from garden centres (you know the type, 3 bags for £10). I have no idea where this stuff comes from or whether it contains any other additives I have spread it generously over my borders and much of my vegetable patch, and wonder whether its generous use could be one reason why some of my veggie are performingly so disappointingly, especially my kohl rabi and some of my beans. Does anybody else use this stuff and have any experience to report?

[PAULW]

PRIMROSE
It is a strange year good for somethings and not to good for others, I am not having a problem with my squashes if fact if you stand about in the same place for to long you end up having to untangle yourself from them they are growing that fast, on the other hand I have small shining light watermelons that are pathetic they are hardly growing at all.
On the subject of manure personally I like to smother my plot in it but the site manager very rarely uses any at all but he puts plenty of composted grass and leaves on his plot every year and after 20 yrs he grows some cracking stuff but he also has failiures,
Check the PH of your ground and treat if there is a problem there.

[Primrose]

Paul - Forgive my ignorance but we did a soil check when we moved here about 30 years ago but I can't remember how we did it and am not sure how often it should be done. Can you refresh my memory please on how it's done. I seem to recall we borrowed a gadget of some kind. And what should it be ideally? Thanks.

[Colin_M]

Does anybody else use this stuff and have any experience to report?

Yes, there seems to be increasing quantities & varieties of this available from all sorts of sources.

This year, I've bought compost sold commercially by Wiltshire council (I guess this is from their "green" bins - if so I'm glad to see it being put to good use). I've also bought composted horse manure. Each of these are slightly cheaper than your prices (generally £6 for 3 bags, though size may vary from yours).

So far, I've only bought 3 bags of each, & used it selectively. I haven't had any disasters with it (the weather has affected so much on our plot anyway). The 2 plants I can specifically remember using the composed horse manure with (Bon Bon squashes & sweetcorn) are both doing very well.

Of course it would be nice to use a less expensive source, but my own compost heaps aren't producing sufficient volumes yet!


Colikn

[PAULW]

PRIMROSE
You can either used a PH meter very gives a quick reading or the old way soil sample, dried, put in a glass phial with distilled water bit of powder? check against colour chart to find out the PH.