Gardeners Question Time

[Phil]

We have recently started to plant some hedges, shrubs and plants in our garden.

The maintenance company do a pretty good job of watering and general tidying up.

We used copious amounts of the black soil to mix in with the top soil when we planted, but I have begun to notice that because so much water is put on the gardens that the soil is beginning to take on the consistency of dust.

The large amounts of water seems to wash all the body out of the soil. It becomes harder for the soil to hold any water and it must also wash all the nutrients and goodies out.

In the UK I would add a well rotted compost ( a polite term of animal poo etc ) to give the soil more body and help it retain water, but I was wondering what the Turkish solution was ?

Is there also a chemical fertiliser we should be putting on to replace the nutrients ?? How often should this be applied.

Cheers !

[kevin3]

I think I would get some well rotted Horse manure delivered from one of the stables in the area

and dig well in. That should help the soil to retain the moisture. Should certainly help, or perhaps

bags of peat, but that may be more expensive.

[nichola]

That black stuff that's sold as soil is rubbish. No way is it soil. The best thing to buy is worm soil also known as black gold which can be purchased from a place down a side turning on the right as you come from Erasta on the Gunlikbasi road. It's not advertised and I can't remember the turning exactly but well worth finding.

One big bag costs 60TL but it goes a long way, it's enough for 4 of the huge tomato greenhouses the local farmers use.

[mercury]

Christine Thomson in Uzumlu is donating free horse manure to anyone willing to collect it. She used to be on here but is also on Facebook..

[Phil]

Nichola - have you been able to recall where the place was you mentioned .... or have you passed it recently ??
I am out soon and would like to try and find it

Many thanks

[KKOB]

The alternative to Uzumlu for horse manure is the stables at Yaniklar, but you'll probably have to arrange collection.

[kayakebab]

Ooooh, we need a bag of that too ! Our soil is awful, I'm sick of buying plants as over half die.

[KKOB]

If you're going for manure, avoid goat manure. As you know, goats eat almost anything and their droppings usually contain a huge amount of seeds, most of them are from weeds. Use goat manure and within weeks you'll be overrun with weeds. Go for well rotted horse, donkey, cow or chicken manure.

[kayakebab]

Great advice KKOB, we're still trying to get rid of weeds 4 years on after putting  goat poo on our garden !

[nichola]

Phil will try to remember to drive past it tomorrow and get a landmark for you.