Greenhouse Border

Hi chums. I want to delve a bit into the possibilities of NOT using growbags, but growing in the border instead next year. To me, the main issue is having to change the soil every year. How much to take out ? What to put in it's place ? Anything else I need to think about ?
Cheers...freddy.

 

"I take out about a spades depth. I've never really thought wether that is enough or not"

Me to, both counts!

Mine is spread onto where the spuds were this year (or onto a flower bed)

I don't have any soil in mine. Half compost, have well rotted manure. Mind you ... lots of soil gets attached to things that go into my compost heap, so its mostly soil anyway ...

 

Hi folks. Thanks for the replies. I've seen the word 'compost' used twice so far. Are we talking the bagged stuff, or homemade ?

 

Ok John, thanks.

 

homemade turned out to be always better for me

 

My small greenhouse has a slab base.

I grow toms etc. in 3gall 99p cheapo builder's buckets and use a JI type mixture for growing in. 7 parts loam, 2 parts home compost from dalek bin, 1 part peat and 1 part sharp sand. All except sand are passed through a 3/8 mesh sieve. Use a rasp to make holes in the buckets at the bottom edge for drainage.

The buckets last for years, it helps keep the greenhouse clean, easy to take plants in and out and a whelbarrow of compost goes a long way! At the end of the season the exhusted compost goes to the flower borders.

Only disadvantage is you don't have the same height above the bucket as you do growing directly in the ground.