Intro to Gardening questions

Hello! I'm pretty new to gardening, as well as to this forum. I wondered if you could please help me with some questions:

1) If you can think of anything that every gardener should have but tends to forget, I'd love to hear what it is; the kind of things where you start gardening then think "shoot, why didn't I buy that before? I need it now!"

2) Has anyone got a quick beginner's lowdown of soils/ planting materials? I have multipurpose compost but some plants need very quick draining soil or soil that holds water for a long time, and I don't know what to go for. Multipurpose compost appears not to be totally multipurpose. Some plants are fine in it but I think some of my other plants are getting a little soggy because it's not draining as quickly as they'd like :skp:

3) I know some plants like more acidic soil and other like more alkaline. Is this totally dependant on the soil you pot them in, or do you have to buy something to increase/ decrease the acidity of the soil? What do you do to get the preferable pH level (I'm planting them in tubs, if that helps)?

4) If you have any suggestions for indoor plants that would be happy sitting on a desk in the middle of an office, please let me know. Ones that love sun would probably not like it here because I'm not really near a window, but I'd love some greenery on my desk.

Thanks very much.

 

Q1 - Patience; and the recognition that you are working with nature - the effects of which we may attempt to mediate but can't control. Two or three good books. A link to this site. More patience and some forward planning.

Q2 - Multipurpose compost is just what it says, but trying to be all things to all plants involves compromise. If you need a drier compost you can add horticultural grit and ensure you have a layer of broken crocks or polystyrene in the base of containers. If you need moister growing media you can add water retaining gel and or garden compost.

Q3 - Soil pH depends on the mineral and organic composition of the soil. Most but not all soils are fairly neutral. To reduce acidity you can add lime and to increase acidity you can add ericaceous compost.

Q4 - Sorry, I don't have a clue.:flag:

 

Hi jw.

My view is that you take everything you read with a pinch of salt. Plants are pretty versatile and will grow in a range of soils and under a range of different circumstances. If there are picky prima-donnas out there I generally can't be bothered with them.

Consequently most of my plants tend to be treated in a similar manner, and very few complain. I only ever use cheap multipurpose compost. I don't bother with named varieties of compost, as my plants can't read! I always add about 1 part of sharp sand to two parts of compost, to improve the drainage. Pure compost can get very soggy. Many composts have some lumps in, but for growing seeds and seedlings I just sieve the lumps out. The net result is a very fine mixture that you would pay extra money for. The lumps go into the bottom of the next pot.

When potting up larger plants, I add garden soil to my mix of compost and sand. Its cheaper and plants like garden soil. This sort of mixture is called John Innes for which you pay extra in a garden centre. And finally I regularly feed all my plants in pots. MiracleGro is about the cheapest if you buy it as water soluble crystals. Don't buy liquid feed - you pay three times as much as for solid feed.

Since I started gardening, I tend to spend less and less, and get more and more in return. You don't need to wear designer clothes when you are gardening and in the same way you don't need to buy designer products. And I now grow nearly all my plants from seed. The range available is 100 times as great as the range of plants available and at a fraction of the price.

 

Get into composting, which makes a brilliant soil conditioner. When it comes to soil its all about organic material, and nutrients.