I have built a 16' x 40' raised garden 1' deep. I have filled it with a mix 1/3 manure, 1/3 native soil, and 1/3 mulch brought to me by Pioneer Landscaping. Prior to planting this spring I added some sulphur as the pH was high. I then planted. Plants were a long time growing. The were slow at putting out a root system.
I dug around my plants (115 of them). I put in a mixture of purchased planting mix and a vegetable fertilizer and a dose of fish oil around the plants about 6" deep. Growth improved but the plants always looked yellow and still no growing as I was used to seeing plants grow on my farm in Michigan.
Cabbage, lettuce, broccholi, all went to seed without forming heads. Peppers are doing pretty well although stunted. Crook neck squash is doing OK but only 1/3 of the blossoms became fruit.
My cantaloupe and wtermellon have had lots of blossoms but no mellons have set.
I'm sure that I'm lacking in the soil mixture still. I started my own composting but it not ready yet.
Is there some one (or some place) that I can have come to look at my soil and give advice so that I don't waste time and money and more importantly help me to get the right stuff into my soil?
Who can go to locally that will give me a good anaylsis of my soil and the nutrients it is lacking?
At what point in time should this be done...before or after I add manure, compost, sulphur, etc.
i want to be ready to plant a fall and winter garden.
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Pls read this link by Dr. Michael Melendrez...he has been supplying inputs to Bob McClendon for years...I am including it because I think the discussion regarding the use of manure, build up of salts, lack of production may be apropos here...http://treesthatplease.us/saline-and-sodic-soil-using-mycorrhizal-f...
Motzz Labs locally can analyze ur soil for you ! See Thelma Sadaang. Great lady. Tell her Jeff sent u over...
Our gardens are Square Foot gardens, with a soil mixture of 1/3 mulch, 1/3 peat, and 1/3 vermiculite. We added some manure as well. When we pull veggies, we replace the plant with a handful of compost. We have fantastic growth.
SF Gardening only requires 6" for most plants.The vermiculite is for water retention, and the peat helps with PH. With your mixture, you could try adding some peat around a few plants to see if they respond. Just a thought...
That said, outside of modifying things a bit for SF gardening, I always pay close attention to Catherine's advice, because she really knows gardening :)
Thank you for your reply. It was VERY timely. Would composted mulch accomplish the same thing?
Where do your plants get the mineral souce they need?
Do you fertilize..and if so... with what?
Where would I get the peat moss? (we used to have it in our pond in Michigan)
Any particular specs on vermiculite...and where would I get that?
Let's see...
1. Would composted mulch accomplish the same thing?
No, it has a different purpose. It will provide nutrients and a nice soil. I'm really big on the value of compost.
The peat and vermiculite are fantastic for water retention, so you water less. Also, since there's no clay in the mix, you don't get over-watering problems.
2. Where do your plants get the mineral source they need?
The mix seems to have what the plants need initially. The plants pull nutrients, obviously, and those have to be replenished. That's where your compost come in to play.
3. Do you fertilize..and if so... with what?
We only add compost; about a handful or two in each square between plantings. Oh, and since we do aquaponic gardening, the SF garden gets the nitrate-rich water when we do water changes.
4. Where would I get the peat moss? (we used to have it in our pond in Michigan)
We're not lucky enough to have it naturally here, so you have to pay a nice price for it at hardware stores and/or nurseries. Linda mentioned Baker nursery. I love that place. I wish it were closer to us!
5. Any particular specs on vermiculite...and where would I get that?
If I recall, it calls for course vermiculite. It can be found at hardware stores in the garden section. But we did work a deal with the company that packages it for ours.
Check out the website: http://www.squarefootgardening.org/whatissfg#!__get-started/vstc61=...
One other thing; it rarely gets weeds and they're really easy to pull.
sorry I was not more clear earlier- I got vermiculite at HD
I think I paid ($16-$20 at HD for 2 cu ft bag. I would say Baker would have too. Just not bought there and Catherine already replied as well. I have personally found that when I plant in pots with vermiculite, the composts ( ALL from all sources I have tried) and pete moss I tend to get really soggy soil. Maybe just not used to the right way to water it. I am now adding native soil to my pots so maybe 25% each .. seems better, cheaper, more real :) I got a bag of perlite last trip to HD and using it instead of vermiculite right now. Kind of scary. I avoid inhaling while working with it . Does anyone use this? NExt I want to buy Rice husks and try those. Catherine has mentioned them. My plots and pot soil mixtures are a total experiment.
Linda, the problem I found with perlite was it tends to separate when you water heavy - kind of floats to the surface thereby defeating the 'fluffing' moisture retention intention. I switched to vermiculite some years ago because of this factor. I like the PBH (rice hulls). The peat moss with the vermiculite will really hold the water, which can be a good and bad thing :-)
Composted mulch would do the same thing IF it is completely broken down to where it 'looks' like soil. I will assume, Robert, that your bed is in contact with the native soil and not in a concrete or wood bottom bed. On a certain level if your bed is in contact with the native soil all the nutrients you put into you mix will attract the worms, who will til your soil and leave their nutrient rich casings. The native soil in your mix has microbes which allow the nutrients in the mix to be accessible - better - to your plants. Vermiculite and peat moss as Sheri notes can be added to your mix if the problem is as I was getting at in my earlier note. The vermiculite helps 'fill in the spaces' in a too loose (woody) soil mix AND retains water as Sheri notes. The peat moss is acidic. You might want to recheck you soil mix after adding the vermiculite and before adding the peat moss.
Vermiculite is pretty much available at any of the nurserys - a large bag will cost about $10-15 or so dollars and would probably cover about 1/2 of your bed if you spread about 1/4 - 1/2 inch on and using a claw turn the soil mix in (or pitch fork whichever works).
Hope all that makes sense.
Yes, worms do enter the garden, which is a wonderful benefit of an established bed.
AH, way less than the amount I thought would be needed.
I think I paid more at HD ($16-$20 at HD for 2 cu ft bag
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