nitrogen rich soil.

Last year I built some more raised beds filled them with my usual mix of soil sand well rotted manure and leaf mould. Suspected at the time I d over done the organic content. This season has born this out with an over abundance of growth from fruit bushes and level drop. Does anybody know a remedy to correct soil over rich in nitrogen or would adding more sand/soil be my only answer?

 

I'd add a liquid Potash-rich fertilizer for things that you want to fruit. (Tomato fertilizer will do the trick, or some Sulphate of Potash or similar)

The Nitrogen will leach out with water, over time, I think.

 

markd, do you ONLY have fruit bushes in the beds ? If not, maybe grow a 'leafy' crop ?

 

thanks kristen already use the tomato feed hasnt really cured the problem.thanks guys so as I understand it put in the leafy crops and they will take up some of the nitogen.What about mulching next year will I encounter the same problem.

 

Hi again markd. Not sure where you're coming from, with regard to mulching ?

 

hi freddy, I usually mulch with rotted horse manure which will be nitrogen rich again will this not compound the problem in these raised beds

 

Ahh....right. Well, yes, it would. Maybe use something else as a mulch ? Bark or weed suppressant fabric maybe ?

 

"I usually mulch with rotted horse manure which will be nitrogen rich again will this not compound the problem in these raised beds"

Standard veg rotation provides for manuring for certain crops only. I don't know how your beds are set out, but if you are doing crop rotation perhaps you could treat the various "rotation groups" differently?

 

I think ill try woodchips. The crop rotation plan doesnt really come into it as the beds contain gooseberry and currant bushes,

 

Not half! It's like trying to keep a bath full when the plug's out.

 

Doh! You said that ... sorry about that! I've got the attention span of a gnat :(