Can I do anything for my soil right now?

[BirthdayCakes]

Hello - I find gardening so confusing - hoping for some help!

Last year I grew a 'cutting garden' that was fairly successful - but that was it... I just left it - should I have mulched the soil? Should I have covered it with compost? What kind of compost? The stuff you buy in bags from the garden centre? What about mushroom compost or manure?

Also - is there anything I can put on the beds now? Or soon? I just feel that its probably not in great condition at the moment but not sure what to do to help it IYSWIM?

I'd really appreciate any help - I just can't really find what I need online and am too scared to ask a real person!!

What do you think you mean when you say a cutting garden?

What soil is it that you have?

What makes you think it isn't in good condition?

A cutting garden means growing flowers (and/or foliage) for picking

Your flowers last year will have taken nutrient out of the soil. Adding some manure or home made compost will help put that nutrient back.

(Potting or general) compost that you buy in the garden centre doesn't normally contain that much long-term nutrient (which is why plants in pots require re-potting or additional fertiliser).

(Spent) mushroom compost doesn't contain as much nutrition as manure (as the mushrooms have used it up) but is good for soil structure and is also quite alkaline - so is good for acid soils low in organic matter.

The RHS website has a lot of freely available advice articles, e.g. www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=603 which you may find helpful.

A lot of it depends on what you want to grow. I would not waste money at this time of year. When you decide what you will be planting, buy a multipurpose compost. Dig a hole and put your new soil in then plant.

Lots of plants do better in poorer soil. If you want a cottage garden then things like Clarkia, Nasturtium, cornflowers, poppies and the like won’t need extra compost or Feed.
Heavy feeders like roses, Dahlias, Vegtables can have fresh compost and then add seeweed feed to the watering can and feed once a month. Don’t overcompensate by making up the mixture stronger than recommended. Less is better than more.

You can waste a lot of money on feed, Fish Blood and Bone, this high phosphate one, that one with nitrates, you need a science degree to understand some of the advice.

I avoid composts that seem too cheap but also don’t pay extra for the branded ones. Garden Centres quite often have their own and are good value.

RHS garden encyclopedia has everything you would ever want to know.

Thank you! I guess I'll just leave it for now and wait til spring.. I need to start lining up some manure..