I am moving to Italy in a month (from the UK) and where they have had to lay my foundations, they seem to have removed a lot of the top soil from the area in the front (where i was planning to grow my veggies)
Will this now make it really hard to grow anything on this soil or what could I do to help? I won't have any ready compost or anything as I will have just moved..
There are other parts of the land that I could use but they are on a slope (this was the only flat part really).
I don't know much about it, but you would probably be wanting to replace that topsoil - sub soil is no-good for planting in. You can buy it in by the tonne, or you could move it from else where on your land.
Good luck with it all, sounds exciting
Ann Pan
"Some days you're the dog,
some days you're the lamp-post"
HI, did they leave the soil they removed behind if so great, you could build some raised beds from wood or if you are really lucky and thers is some old stone around use that fill them and mix with some compost borrowed or brought from some one else.
and maybe some seaweed if you are not to far inland.
if not use some old stone or wood to terrace the sloped area and add soil, compost, spent musroom compost, sea weed, rotted farmyard manure. eg chickens, sheep, cows, horses and a bit of mulched up straw for firbe and plant in that.
a quick organic fertiliser
take a barrel with a lid and fill with water, in an old sack or pillowcase put comfrey, nettles, and other weeds, some manure(well rotted) and tie up with cord, dangle in water and leave for two weeks but every two days dunk it like a teabag and once a week get a boy or man to pea in it for the urea after two weeks drain liquid and water down 1 litre to five of water, then refill bin and replace bag. after second usage dispose of contants and create a new lot. Use it to water your plant roots every couple of weeks or you pots after every eightth watering.
cheers Homegrown
Our remote ancestors said to their mother Earth, "We are yours."
Modern humanity has said to Nature, "You are mine."
The Green Man has returned as the living face of the whole earth so that through his mouth we may say to the universe, "We are one."
Unless they've left the top soil(which they should of,it beongs to you afterall right?)then I would build up some raised beds.I used link a boards(can buy them from suttons)and I think two 1x1mt beds cost me around £60?Otherwise why not terrace that slope,if its facing the right driection,that could be a great place to start growing!All the best and good luck with your move.
