Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Grow your own  permalink

Silly Q about beds in a GH...

• Message 1. 

  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Tuesday, 4th October 2011

  I've read and been given advise that beds in GH's need their soil replacing at least every 3rd year as the nutrients will have been leeched out and this prevents the build up of pests in the soil. Sounds reasonable advise.
  
  Next year will be my third year of growing in the GH.
  
  I grow stuff in a mixture of pots, grow bags and a narrow bed down one side of the GH. This year I grew toms, cues, squash, aubergines, chillies and peppers.I used bottomless pots in the bed and grew mainly toms in it.
  
  Silly Q time...can veg be rotated in a GH so the soil in the bed doesn't need replacing. For instance growing toms in the bed one year, chillies and peppers another with cues, squash and aubergines the next
  
  

  Link to this forum: Silly Q about beds in a GH...

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Nitabubble (U14886404) on Wednesday, 5th October 2011

  We've used our greenhouse for donkey's years and never actually replaced the soil. What we do do is add a lot off compost every year and dig in thoroughly. We do also top up with used grow bags etc. I am assuming, of course, that your greenhouse bed is directly onto the soil beneath like ours. If it was completely self-contained, I suppose it might need replacing now and then.
  Nita

  Link to this forum: Silly Q about beds in a GH...

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by jo4eyes (U13654107) on Wednesday, 5th October 2011

  Hi Zoomer, if you can do some rotation from one year to the next it would help, as changing the soil completely every few years isnt an easy job. As with any vegetable rotation just watch you dont plant from the same 'family' in succeeding years- depends on how large the bed is. Always make a note/plan otherwise you'll not remember from one year to the next, unless you are very organised! There are smaller varieties too that are better suited to growing in pots which you could do one year instead. You could grow tomatoes directly on the bed using Ring Culture. Similar to your bottomless pots. I've now done this for the last 2 years after planting directly for about 4-5yrs. I also remove some of the top bit of soil & add/replace it with home-made compost every year. The level still seems to stay the same. So if next year is your 3rd, then not vital to totally replace the bed soil/compost yet, but worth thinking about what you will have to do in following years. J.

  Link to this forum: Silly Q about beds in a GH...

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Thursday, 6th October 2011

  It's good to know the soil doesn't necessarily need replacing.The bed is directly on the soil although contained, a bit like a mini raised bed as there are flags around the base of the GH. I added seaweed on top last year and was going to add own grown compost this.
  
  I've a plan of what I was growing and where, both for the GH and outside beds only because I grew so much different stuff and didn't want to be left with holes in the beds, so as one crop was lifted another took it's place and where possible didn't plant the same family of veg after each other.
  
  I shall check out smaller tom varieties and larger peppers. I'm edging towards a cues, aubergine and pepper bed next year with the rest in pots and bags.

  Link to this forum: Silly Q about beds in a GH...

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Palaisglide (U3102587) on Friday, 7th October 2011

  Zoomer, in my old house the greenhouse beds were straight onto soil and I had plenty of well rotted compost so dug off some of the top layer then dug in the compost. After a few years the beds were getting a bit high so I lined them with a plank raised bed style and carried on digging in compost, I had very few problems.
  This greenhouse much bigger than the last I put down gravel beds and everything goes in pots, fresh soil every year.
  Using bottomless pots means tomato's can get their roots down to water held in the gravel plus the bonus of not having to dig out or even dig in compost.
  I wash the green house and gravel each year after the Tom's etc have been cleared out then move in my extra staging and start the next years planting, I am older than you and as the years pass making it easy is the way to go.
  Growing in pots has given me good crops of Tomato's peppers and other things when all around me were being hit by blight.
  refresh your borders and you could also dig out say one quarter per year and put in new soil, just mark each section with a divider and mark the one you did, that way it is all refreshed every four years.
  Frank.

  Link to this forum: Silly Q about beds in a GH...

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Saturday, 8th October 2011

  You've all given me some idea's.
  
  Adding compost and putting another wooden frame on the existing one to raise the bed when full is a thought for future years.
  
  Having large gravel trays, would help with watering whilst away. I've checked out the cost of those and they look reasonable.

  Link to this forum: Silly Q about beds in a GH...

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by Palaisglide (U3102587) on Saturday, 8th October 2011

  Zoomer, I made my gravel trays.
  A few lengths of treated timber made into a frame then nail heavy plastic to the frame and fill with a few bags of pea gravel.
  It is on the greenhouse floor and not going anywhere so need not be too substantial. I used compost bags dark side up as you need some drainage.
  The gravel keeps the ground under the plastic wet so then holds some water but does not flood.
  The gravel trays on my staging are plastic trays about an inch deep filled with pea gravel, that is enough to set my pots on and a drip feeder for when I am away. It works for me and does not cost the earth.
  Frank.

  Link to this forum: Silly Q about beds in a GH...

  Report message7

Back to top