Greenhouse Soil

[potiche]

Rookie gardener.....I've always used grow bags but I'm thinking about lifting the crazy paving & forming shallow raised beds in my half brick greenhouse. So I'd be growing in the ground, enriched with compost. I'm wondering how healthy this would be for the soil because it won't be exposed to the elements. There won't be rain & frost to wash away & freeze nasties. Will this indoor soil stay healthy?

[woofgang]

Even with a raised bed, you will need to dig it out and use fresh every year or so because it will become sour with the intensive growing...also if you get a soil disease or bug in there you will have to do some serious soil removal and replacement. Its possible but I can’t see a benefit.

[jomifl]

Woofgang, do you replace your garden soil every year?

[woofgang]

No jom, but I don’t garden it intensively, and, as potiche has said, it is affected and cleaned by the weather; and birds and other bug predators have access to it. Where people garden in the open intensively (allotments, veg gardens) then they do take various actions to clean and rejuvenate the soil.

[alavahalf]

potiche I can only suggest you get a composting system going. As you fear, without a soil change, you may invite problems. I remove about 4" of the soil from my polytunnel and greenhouse each year and replace it with well rotted compost and manure. This is topped with blood fish and bonemeal. I do wonder if 4" is enough, but I do turn it all over and incorporate the fresh mix using a rotavator down to a depth of around 12"
It's all good stuff .. my spuds are 12" clear of the surface today ! ?... beans going in tommorow.

[potiche]

Thnx guys....I won't be too hasty. Sounds like a good start to the season Ava . I've just fumigated with the sulphur candle &, thinking about it, probably that annual ritual wouldn’t be good for indoor soil either. On balance, seems like more againsts

[murraymints]

not a great idea..growbags are the way..easy clean simple..

[Chipchopper]

'Ring Culture' might be the answer, if you want to grow tomatoes etc. I have to go out soon, but try googling RHS ring culture. It may be well worth exploring.