On Wed, 27 May 2015 07:52:52 +1000, Jeßus > wrote:

>On Tue, 26 May 2015 20:43:42 +0100, Janet > wrote:
>
>>In article >,
says...
>>> I guess a lot people need to visit farm equipment stores. They'd
>>> be amazed to see manure spreaders being sold. What do they think
>>> was the main fertilizer being used before all these chemical ones
>>> were introduced?
>>>
>>> My former next door had a lovely raised bed vegetable garden last
>>> year; that little plot was quite a producer! Her fertilizer of
>>> choice was chicken poop.
>>>
>>
>> My grandfather's hugely productive veg garden was fertilised entirely
>>by human waste from the bucket lav used by all the family. He dug a
>>hole, tipped the bucket, shovelled soil on top.
>
>'night soil'
>
>> My veg garden is fertilised entirely by home made compost (includes
>>sheep and horse manure) and seaweed.
>
>Sounds good.
>
>My soil here is very good nutrient-wise and it is basically old river
>bed soil, but high in clay.
>
>After some years of half-heartedly trying to fix the problem (gypsum
>did nothing), I've gotten serious this year. So far I've added six
>inches each of sheep, cow and poultry manures, same again with old
>sawdust and large bales of partly rotted sheep's fleece. Also added a
>few loads of seaweed I collected (I dumped it in the creek for a few
>weeks to wash the salt out first). Also three large bales of straw.
>And lots and lots of lime with each layer... all turned over with a
>cultivator.
>
>It's really starting to look good now and is already crawling with
>worms. Because of this I only have a small patch of broad beans and
>garlic in the main bed ATM, but this coming spring I will plant the
>whole area out.

The bales of straw will give you a headache. I did straw one year and
had field weeds for years and years after. You may not have used
enough gypsum. Did you turn it in? It should be effective for about
5+ years.
Janet US