Soil Preparation

[Matrix34]

Prepared and cleaned the greenhouse and started tomatoe/cucumber seeds in propogators indoors.

This week I need to prepare the soil in the 3 raised vegatable beds.

Has anyone used chicken manure pellets with the soils and if so could you share your thoughts please?

[solway cropper]

I use pelleted chicken manure every year and find it an excellent, chemical-free fertilizer. It is alkaline though, so don't use it near acid loving plants. Over use of it on potatoes can cause scabbing as well but it is great for brassicas and as a general fertilizer. Blood fish and bone meal is probably a better alternative if you want to stay organic but is more expensive.

And try to get as much well-rotted organic matter into your soil as you can.

[Matrix34]

Any suggestions as to when I should be preparing the soil? Live in the north of UK just had snow and frost in the evenings so the soil is pretty hard at present.

[vegetable-gardener]

We use the chicken manure pellets and they are a great way to fertilize the soil. We also have raised beds and we made ours 3 years ago when we had frost and snow! We waited until the soil was frost free before we added it. We just added soil, compost and grass clippings and dug that up then sprinkled chicken manure pellets on top.

[TheRipeTomato.ca]

Yeah, we wait until the soil is frost-free as well. We're way over in Victoria, BC Canada.

[johnmarsh]

chicken manure pellets is really a great way to fertilize the soil.