Magnesium deficiency, etc

[Martin G]

After the succinct replies I got here on my tomato problems I suppose it's reasonable to assume that the general fertility of my plot is in the same condition.
I'm growing other summer things like courgettes, lettuce, rocket, french beans, spinach, they look more feeble and stunted than I think they should be by now, and some of my rocket is going a strange purple/brown colour.
My courgettes are nothing special I've spread them around the area and those that are on the old site of compost heap are double the size of those in the main plot, a sure indication if ever I needed one!
Proof I guess that the fertility is low and chemistry is off in some way, next year I will do some kind of specific soil test and deal with it properly, but is there anything I can do to boost my stuff this year ?

[corrie]

A friend of mine uses worm juice and says it made her garden explode! I think it's the castings and excretion of worms but I'm not sure where you can get it from.

[malcolmx]

firstly i would test the soil with a cheap kit then add lime or not to change the acidity , for this year i would clear the ground and use Growmore to help feed in the autumn dig in as much spent mushroom compost as you can obtain/afford and add some good topsoil if your land is poor .

save one area for greens and lime in the spring add a green veg booster
you need to work the land for about a season to find out its plusses and minuses

[Martin G]

Thanks Malcolm, a soil test must be necessary, I will get what I can from the plot in what's left of this year, It's not so hopeless I'm going to abandon it yet, even a dose of growmore has had an effect I reckon.
The actual soil structure is I think not bad even though not far down is London clay. Another mistake I have made is to set it out in such a way as to make it unavoidable that I have to walk on it to do work, next time I will put boards in and walkways so as to avoid compacting the soil.