MGPD Companion Thread - Resources

Mouldi's Garden Picture Diary

Rather than totally derail my picture diary thread with too many non-picture posts, I thought I’d start this companion thread to share/discuss resources. Please do add your own links/experiences/advice etc.

Seeds seems as good a topic as any to start with.

Hopefully, we’re going totally organic. We do have some seeds of unknown origin from our previous ventures, which we will no doubt use for the sake of being thrifty. That is part of the intention with this garden. To beg, borrow, salvage and generally keep costs down as much as possible during the construction stages.

UK seed supplies

Realseeds: Intending to get a few bits and pieces from here. They also offer good advice about seed collection, which they wholly advocate and explain for the various plant types.

Simplyseed

Beansandherbs

Organiccatalogue

Nickys-nursery: Tried and tested by me, though not recently. Was always happy with the product and services.


That’s a few to get started with. If/when we use any of the others I’ll share my shopping experience.

Also, from previous experience, allotmenteers are often keen to share/swap excess produce and seeds. Another good way to expand your growing empire without parting with your cash! Many allotments may even have a group that organises events for the sole purpose of trading (Yay).

SOIL TYPES

Soil pH

Thanks to CynicalDrivel for mentioning the need to pH test soil here

I’ve looked into this a little, having previously had very little knowledge of the difference in the outcome of crops depending on soil acidity.

The pH of soil tends to run from 4 (considered highly acidic) to 8 (alkaline) with 7 being neutral. Most nutrients become available in soil with a pH between 6 and 7 but specifically:

Nitrogen (N) is available at pH 5.5 or greater, Phosphorus (P) is available at pH 6-7 and Potassium (K) is available as quoted:

Soil type and environmental conditions have an effect on the amount of potassium available for plant use. Potassium availability is highest under warm, moist conditions in soils that are well aerated with a neutral or slightly acidic pH. Too much water in the soil profile will lower oxygen levels, which in turn decreases plant respiration reducing potassium uptake. In clay soils, potassium availability can be affected due to its competition with calcium and magnesium for sites on the cation exchange. Both calcium and magnesium can easily displace potassium from the cation exchange

Source

You can get an idea as to whether the soil is more acidic or alkaline depending on plants that are already growing in the area. If there are Hydrangeas close by or on your plot, they will flower blue with acidic soil and pink with alkaline.

A really quick, cheap and easy way of finding out if your soil is acidic or alkaline is here. It won’t tell you the exact pH, but will tell you which ball park you’re in. Another good indicator, like with the hydrangeas, is the type of weeds on your plot

Weeds as Indicators

Does your lawn or garden seem to favor particular types of weeds? Certain weeds can act as indicators of your soil's pH. For example, sorrels, docks, dandelions, and Queen-Anne's lace typically grow in poor, acidic soils. On the alkaline side of the pH scale, mustards and thistles tend to grow in soils with a higher pH. Changing the pH can actually help reduce the incidence of certain types of weeds.

Source

If you want a more accurate reading of the soil pH the best bet is to invest in pH testing kit or meter, which can easily be found with google et al.
I searched for a soil testing kit on amazon and found them with process ranging from £1.05 for a test-tube type kit with “2 powder capsule tests for soil pH levels” to £37.95 for a wand type meter with "soil analysis pH, N P and K with enough materials for 40 tests "

Soil acidity/alkalinity as per the pH are as follows:

Ultra acid 9.0



Soil Types

In terms of soil texture, soil type usually refers to the different sizes of mineral particles in a particular sample. Soil is made up in part of finely ground rock particles, grouped according to size as sand, silt and clay. Each size plays a significantly different role.
For example, the largest particles, sand, determine aeration and drainage characteristics, while the tiniest, sub-microscopic clay particles, are chemically active, binding with water and plant nutrients. The ratio of these sizes determines soil type: clay, loam, clay-loam, silt-loam, and so on.
In addition to the mineral composition of soil, humus (organic material) also plays a crucial role in soil characteristics and fertility for plant life. Soil may be mixed with larger aggregate, such as pebbles or gravel. Not all types of soil are permeable, such as pure clay.

Source

The best soil to work with is loam. If your soil is too clayey/petey, or silty/sandy adding compost is beneficial. In clayey soil it helps reduce moisture retention in wet conditions or helps disperse the moisture so it doesn’t clump. It also makes sure it doesn’t bake hard with a lack of moisture in dry conditions. Compost in silty/sandy soil will help retain moisture that would otherwise drain away. A really good and much more detailed description of the 6 soil types is here

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Amending soil pH

If your soil is too acidic or alkaline there are ways to change the pH. adding lime increases alkalinity (raises pH) and adding sulphur increases acidity (lowers pH).

A more thorough discussion of the different types of amendments and the benefits they afford is here, which is a downloadable pdf. From the source:

Factors to Consider When Choosing an Amendment
There are at least four factors to consider in selecting a soil amendment:
how long the amendment will last in the soil,
soil texture,
soil salinity and plant sensitivities to salts, and
salt content and pH of the amendment.

Longevity of the Amendment
The amendment you choose depends on your goals.
Are you trying to improve soil physical properties quickly? Choose an amendment that decomposes rapidly.
Do you want a long-lasting improvement to your soil? Choose an amendment that decomposes slowly.
Do you want a quick improvement that lasts a long time? Choose a combination of amendments.

There are charts on the pdf to show which amendments meet any given requirement.


Well, that’s me done for the day on this topic. Please add or amend wherever needed


Other Sources:

www.allotment.org.uk...
www.allotment.org.uk...
www.cleanairgardening.com...
en.wikipedia.org...
en.wikipedia.org...
www.extension.org...
www.ehow.com...
www.ecochem.com...
www.eutechinst.com...
gardening.about.com...
www.landscapingideasonline.com...