Preparation is key.....I assume!

[Chookeeper]

Hi all,

Beginner question for you all. I have a patch of earth at the end of the garden which I fully intend to be a vegetable patch next year. I was going to start this year but time got away from me and by the time I got round to doing my research the sowing time of most veg had past. I’m looking to start simple. I’m thinking a couple of tomato plants in pots, one of these potato bin thingies (oooo yes I know the technical terms!), some carrots, some onions and maybe some courgettes (these will be going directly into the ground).

I question is how to prepare the soil for vegetables? I’ve heard I should dig in some manure the autumn before, and as luck would have it I have a farm shop that sells manure 5 minutes down the road. Is it necessary to do this? And how much is needed for an area approx 3 metres by 2 metres? Should I be testing for soil type/acidity or is this only necessary for delicate veg plants?

Sorry if this all sounds very daft, I’ve only ever grown tomatoes before so am a complete beginner!

[vegetable-gardener]

We prepare the soil by digging in old manure and compost. We also add fish, blood and bone meal. If the soil is heavy you can dig in some sand.

I would use a couple of bags of manure. We used to use a lot of grass clippings - they are great to keep weeds down (we don't use it now as we hardly have any grass to cut!)

If you start of with good soil it will reward you with loads of vegetables.

[Ace]

Originally Posted by Mycorrhizal Systems

Adjusting your soil conditions needn’t be an industrial operation, at MSL Analysis we offer a full range of soil analysis and with the help of these results simple improvements can be made to help farms, forests and gardens thrive.

Errrr, I think he said it was just a little patch at the end of the garden. I guess if he wanted to he could just buy a little soil sample checker from his local garden centre for a couple of quid?