[catherine]

We've just purchased a lease hold property in the high moorlands of Dartmoor.  2.5 acres, paddocks, and some out buildings.  There is a lot to do, and a lot to learn, and we are giving ourselves the chance to do that....and make some mistakes, too!  What I can't seem to find anywhere is solid advice about growing vegetables in such an environment.  I know that there are a few things that don't mind the acidic soil; but, not certain if raised beds are the solution to bring in a bit of diversity to our veg plot.  And also, if raised beds are the way to go, how high should they be given the soil situation?

Basic questions, really, but trying to find some simple information on this has been a struggle.  Thanks.

[deepinthewoods]

why not lime the soil?  hi by the way!

[Plantoid]

hi Catherine welcome ,
 My raised bed are brick built 900 x 990 beds 900 high and filled 2/3 with well rotted stable muck . the top content is a soil less growth medium made up for 1/3 peat, 1/3 large chip vermiculite and the final 1/3 is five different composted manures or similar in equal parts
 Ie 5 buckets of peat, five buckets of vermiculite and one bucket of each different manured source.
 
Once the inital mix is made and laud you add to it every time you takesone thing out of the crop square in the  bed using homemade compost you have done yourself
 The inital stuff for the mix can be purchased but steer clear of anything that says soil or forest floor products. or composted wood chips for these will still be robbing the soil of nitrogen for several years to come till they decomoose fuly and start to give it back

Such composted things to include can be
all  poulty manure, cattle manure and straw,  wet srtaw shredded paper /carboard  ,llama , alapcca goat, sheep ,pig muck & beddings , rabbit muck and bedding (but not itit has a hay content due to seeds) chose sea weeds , leaf mould , spent mushroom comnpost , worm castings fish waste and occasionally fish meal

Perhaps it's better for you to  google "  Berkley 18 day composting " or "  18 day composting ".
 Once you decide upon the method stick with it and learn how to donit ..don't chop and change using what you feel comortable with for 9 times ouit of ten you'll mess up .
 
Your own home made compost from a very varied source  will only be slightly acidic as it will have compsted aerobically , The heat generated by this method of composting will usually kill off most pathogens  bits of stem & root as well as nearly all the weed seeds .

 Don't go using loads of farm manures & straw that have been left in a big heap to rot for less than four years without air & water to break it down as these do tend to be acidic  because of the cold anerobic composting /breaking down of the materials.

This type of composting usually still  contains weed seeds as it has not become hot enough for long enough to kill them . Most weed seed can survive many years in the soil before they die off , they just sit there waiting for some one to disturb the top four inches of soil . Any bits of pernicious prennial weeds stem or roots will also often start growing when anerobic material is used .

We live in an area of Wales where the main soil is blue coalmine clay with a high sulphur content ..therefore it's very acidic .  most of the locals don't know how to wwork the soil or have no interest in doing so.

Adding lime &  adding builders gypsum plaster as powder didn't help much other than to help crumb up the clays & ret soem water retention rather than instant run off down the hill  ,so did adding around 14 tonnes of well composted stabe , poultry & farm yeard manures along with 4 tonnes of sharp sand to a depth of three feet.

 I've been researching this raised bed method with soil less growth mediun for several years and finalyl took the plunge to start the raised bed well amnured soil change over & growing in it last october ..
So far all is fine but because it is so light and friable I've had to stake the broccoli, kale  sprouts and PS broccoli to prevent wind rock . the few weeds htat have appeare are so easy to pull out as the mix does not cling like siol based materials.

[catherine]

Thank you for the suggestions, and the thorough description of how to proceed.  Finally!  It has been a challenge to find experience with growing in this sort of environment; which is very different than just higher Ph.  I can see we have my work cut out for us.  I'm looking forward to providing some positive feedback!

And any more thoughts, suggestions are more than welcome. I'm new to this forum and already finding it meeting my needs for idea sharing.  Thanks again.

[lachlanandmarcus]

We live in Aberdeenshire and grow in acidic soil. Mix of the soil plus well rotted horse manure/hemp and wood pellet bedding in our raised beds.

We grew amazing veggies!!, the best Ive grown anywhere. I thought I would need to lime/add stuff but thought Id try first.

Everything did brilliantly.

So as long as any manure is very well rotted, I would be tempted to try as is first!

[simba]

i have built and had raised bed systems for the past 5 years you can pick and choose a bit more which type of soil you want depending on what you grow and remember to maintain a rotation system each year if you must use farm manure then well rotted cow is best as they have very good digestion system in them i also use mushroom compost as this is a mixture of medium. if on a exposed site try and make a wind break from prevailing wind this can raise the temp of soil and help with germination but remember that this can also cause a bit more of a water shortage to the beds as they willdry out a bit quicker than the ground
Good luck with all your growing

also use green manure this is a nice cheap way to add a bit of nutrition to the soil

Sim

[pgkevet]

Have you measured the pH?
I've got some areas on my fields where i'd have bet it was way more acid than the readings turned out.
Think positive and consider the benefits for blueberries and cranberries...
You can always adjust the soil as suggested.. lime particularly for the brassicas; spuds will like it a bit more acid.

Look at your weeds for clues as to what might grow best...I'm sticking artichokes on my thistle hill..

[Calvadnack]

Hi Catherine
I garden in moorland West Cornwall with thin soil on granite, howling winds and lots of rain, so very similar to you.  I've never worried about the acid soil and have just concentrated on adding compost every spring (nutrients wash away over winter).  We have chickens so the compost is very rich and left to rot for a year before it's used.

I mostly have veg beds edged with just one 8" board with just a couple of beds of 2 x 8" for extra rich soil.  The soil depth here is only a spade's depth, but the extra height has meant I can grow most things.

Most successful - carrots, brassicas, leeks, overwintered onions, blight-resistant varieties of potatoes, all salads, short peas, beans (broad & dwarf French), celery, all soft fruit especially raspberries.

Difficult - squashes, courgettes, apples, garlic, sweetcorn - although I still try every year! I've given up on cauliflowers and tall peas and beans.

Basil, tomatoes and cucumbers I can only grow in the greenhouse, where I also put a couple of courgettes.

The most important things have been wind-breaks.  I put in a willow fedge (criss-cross withies) and netting. Rabbit-fencing all around the veg area.  And also four Indian runner ducks who keep down the slugs!

Also I don't start sowing too early, end of April and anything tender like french beans not until mid-May.  I start off a lot things inside in modules to get a headstart, although we have a long growing season well into October.

So exciting for you to be starting in a new garden - give everything a go!

[catherine]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.  We did test the soil and it came up to about 6.5, so not too bad.  We've built the raised beds, a small stone wind break, and have our compost bins up and running (or breaking down?).  Put a layer of cardboard on the bottom of the raised beds to add as extra compost and then dropped in a ton of veg compost to get things started.  Enthusiastically, am planning to put in a winter planting to see how it all goes.  I figure, nothing ventured nothing gained.  Next...the greenhouse as I know those tender tomatoes just won't make it on the moors.

[Beewyched]

Hiya & welcom Catherine from a very windy West Scotland 
Our soil is acidic here, so blueberries do well, as do black/red/white currants, gooseberries, rhurbarb, damsons & crab apples.  Not so good for the plums, pears, apples - eating or cookers, but I think that may be more to do with "wind rock".
No problem with the raised beds (other than trying to shelter them from the wind), though we have been trying to create natural wind breaks from native trees & shrubs (they'll probably be great in about 20 years  ) as the nylon & plastic netting just gets ripped away up here 
Just a suggestion - if you're looking at getting a covered growing area, then maybe look at polytunnels - they are far more weather resistant & seem to be the popular choice over greenhouses up here.
Best advice - take it slow, research & plan - lots of really enthusiastic helpful folks on here too 
 
 

[Lesley Silvester]

Hi Catherine.  Just wanted to welocme you as I have never tried to grow veg on acidic soil, although your ph reading isn't bad at all.
 
Never tried this myself but I was told of a way of making raised beds out of pallets, if you can get a good supply.  You make a stack of about five (or several stacks of five) then stand pallets on end round the outside.  Fix them to the stacks.  line the whole of the inside with thick plastic and put your growing medium into this.  It will be deep enough for most crops and is at a good height for working without bending.
 
I might well convert my garden to these beds now I have trouble bending myself.