Reviving Old Gardens

Reviving Old Gardens

Last year I grew potatoes in my veggie garden. I have just dug in a mixed cover crop. When is the best time to apply dolomite and a general fertiliser, and what would be the best crops to plant next?

Dolomite Lime can be applied at the same time as digging in the cover crop - so apply it now. Blood and Bone can also be added to the soil prior to planting, as it feeds those important soil microorganisms as well as your plants. In terms of a general fertiliser, it is best applied as a side dressing as your vegetables grow throughout the season. 

After a crop of potatoes, if the soil preparation has been thorough, you have checked drainage and added compost, then there should be no limitations to what type of vegetables you can successfully grow next.

It is worth noting that many years ago potatoes were always the first vegetable to be grown in a new vegetable garden on the understanding that they helped break up heavy soils.

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