Ideas on bedding plants or shrubs?

[Longshanks]

Hi

Just had bushes removed and stump buster to clear conifer and shrub roots.

Didn’t inherit my old man’s green fingers, so haven’t a clue what/how I should plant. (Not even sure if I need to use compost)

Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[pidgeon1]

I had 17 conifers & stump ground out from a border, I dug in rotted house manure and compost to revive the soil as there was no goodness left in.
If you cant get manure try a good compost and leave for the winter to rest ,
if you want to put something in to cover the bear ground how about wallflowers till the spring then dig over and set the border with what you like.

Just my suggestion and what did.

 

[Longshanks]

Thanks. Other thing I forgot to mention is that I used a fair bit of Weedol to rot the roots before stump buster. Guess that hasn’t exactly helped soil fertility?

(Should I be able to get house manure from any garden centre?)

Thanks again

 

[pidgeon1]

Thanks. Other thing I forgot to mention is that I used a fair bit of Weedol to rot the roots before stump buster. Guess that hasn’t exactly helped soil fertility?

(Should I be able to get house manure from any garden centre?)

Thanks again

No they don't sell it, don't know where you are , but if you can find somebody with horses & a donkey they will be gland to rid of it.

Don't put chicken droppings on the garden its very powerful as can burn if tooooo much is put on.

I f you can buy loam cheap you could try that and fertilize next spring.

Some council refuse centers sell bags of compost from recycled green waste, try your local council see if they can help.

 

[Longshanks]

Ok thanks

 

[StephenOak]

No they don't sell it, don't know where you are , but if you can find somebody with horses & a donkey they will be gland to rid of it.

That is sort of true and sort of not.

By 'house manure' I take it that you mean horse manure. My understanding is that when fresh this is quite odorous and you only want it if you have a big garden, and can put it far away from the house to rot down.

Garden centres won't sell that, your best bet might be a riding school.

Once rotted down this is not smelly and garden centres do sell that, e.g.

Westland Farmyard Manure 50L | Dobbies Garden Centres

<p>Westland Farmyard Manure is a rich organic compost ideal for use all around the garden. It's perfect for replenishing depleted soils, conditioning soil and improving its structure.</p><p>This manure is suitable for planting flowers, trees and shrubs, as well as for growing furits and...

www.dobbies.com

Levington Organic Blend Farmyard Manure 50 Litres - Coolings Garden Centre

Levington Organic Blend Farmyard Manure 50 Litres, only £6.49 from Coolings Garden Centres

www.coolings.co.uk

Some council refuse centers sell bags of compost from recycled green waste, try your local council see if they can help.

Friends have bought this and said it was okay but that it needed careful sieving before using.

People put all sorts in their green waste recycling e.g. dead plants still in the pot or still with a label on. The council will screen the compost to pick out big pieces (e.g. plant parts that have not broken down) but anything that gets through this will be put into the bags, pottery, plastic, polystyrene, etc.

I used a fair bit of Weedol to rot the roots before stump buster.

Weedol is glyphosate, which decomposes relatively quickly. See what it says on the container for how long to wait.

No chemical (that you can use domestically) rots roots / stumps significantly. What most of them do is kill the plant so that it does not regrow.

 

[pidgeon1]

So Sorry Longshanks, should read HORSE manure.

I get my bags of horse manure for nothing, 6 bags fill a Corse at one time, generally keep it for a few months to rot down in the bags

 

[Longshanks]

Thanks again. Just seen the peat free beds and border manure at B&Q. Can I not just use this? If I do, would I mix with compost?

Regards

 

[pidgeon1]

Thanks again. Just seen the peat free beds and border manure at B&Q. Can I not just use this? If I do, would I mix with compost?

Regards

We always would put manure and compost and anything organic to build up the soil.
Anything you can put back into the soil will be good as it's not got much goodness left in after having conifers trees.

Depends how much you want to pay it can get expensive, but will be worth it.

 

[Longshanks]

Thanks again.

 

[Deryck Tintagel]

I had a similar situation but just one conifer in the front garden. I managed to get the root out by sheer brute force. That left me with a big hole and very poor soil. I bought some "soil improver" (compost) from the local waste recycling centre and that did quite a good job. You can also buy farmyard manure from B&M in 50 litre bags. I have also managed to get hold of well rotted horse muck and that is very good. You should be able to get that for free or very little cost

 

[pidgeon1]

I had a similar situation but just one conifer in the front garden. I managed to get the root out by sheer brute force. That left me with a big hole and very poor soil. I bought some "soil improver" (compost) from the local waste recycling centre and that did quite a good job. You can also buy farmyard manure from B&M in 50 litre bags. I have also managed to get hold of well rotted horse muck and that is very good. You should be able to get that for free or very little cost

 

[Gerrydelasel]

You can dig compost into the soil but never put horse manure 'in' the soil, it is far too rich and will act more like a poison. You put maure on top of the soil; rain will then leach the goodness into the ground gradually.

 

[pidgeon1]

Each to his own,

But we have dug horse manure from stables in our garden for 20 + years and never had any problems, never put where you are growing potatoes same year.
2 plots 18 x 25 yards.

 

[Longshanks]

You can dig compost into the soil but never put horse manure 'in' the soil, it is far too rich and will act more like a poison. You put maure on top of the soil; rain will then leach the goodness into the ground gradually.

Thanks again. Does that advice about not digging horse manure into soil also apply to the bog standard stuff (peat free bed and border manure) you get from B&&Q?