Gardening and Horticulture - ReFreshing the garden soil
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wallyp
06-19-09, 12:01 PM
Heres one, my garden is 33' x 6' in size, I have a Troy Built tiller
that i use to till the garden. But for the last 2 yrs. the vegetables
plants haven't grown like they should. It's 23 years old and i haven't added anything to the soil, should i add till in compost (manure), or something else to make my plants grow, when i started they grew nice, but lately not growing good. Somethings
wrong.
Thanks:wall:
that i use to till the garden. But for the last 2 yrs. the vegetables
plants haven't grown like they should. It's 23 years old and i haven't added anything to the soil, should i add till in compost (manure), or something else to make my plants grow, when i started they grew nice, but lately not growing good. Somethings
wrong.
Thanks:wall:
Gunguy45
06-19-09, 12:27 PM
It would be best to have a soil test done.....
But adding compost and some slow release fertilizer wouldn't hurt. If you use manure..make sure it has been thouroughly composted...not fresh off the farm.
Worm castings are also great if you can find a source
But adding compost and some slow release fertilizer wouldn't hurt. If you use manure..make sure it has been thouroughly composted...not fresh off the farm.
Worm castings are also great if you can find a source
spdavid
06-19-09, 12:48 PM
Assuming nothing has been done to the soil in all those years it is likely low in nutrients.tilling in compost/manure should help.Even tilling in remnants of past crops will help.Farmers do stuff like that all the time,They even plant crops of various grasses etc for the express purpose of tilling it in.
Newt
06-25-09, 12:12 AM
Hi Wallyp,
I agree with the others. You need to add lots of organic material. Feed the soil and you feed the plants. The plants have been depleting the soil for a long time and not giving back. Time to add all the compost you can find/purchase. Careful with the manure even if it is aged. Some veggies don't want alot of nitrogen.
Contact your local extension service for a soil test since it's been so long since nutrients have been added.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/
Newt
I agree with the others. You need to add lots of organic material. Feed the soil and you feed the plants. The plants have been depleting the soil for a long time and not giving back. Time to add all the compost you can find/purchase. Careful with the manure even if it is aged. Some veggies don't want alot of nitrogen.
Contact your local extension service for a soil test since it's been so long since nutrients have been added.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/
Newt
wallyp
07-05-09, 10:47 AM
OK, I'm a new be to proper gardening, but not a new be to life.
I plan to till in compost/manure into the garden this fall (if i harvest anything at all) can you do it in fall, for next years spring planting? I plan on tilling in the old plants to help the soil. Do the big box stores sell just the compost?
wally
I plan to till in compost/manure into the garden this fall (if i harvest anything at all) can you do it in fall, for next years spring planting? I plan on tilling in the old plants to help the soil. Do the big box stores sell just the compost?
wally
Gunguy45
07-05-09, 11:10 AM
Fall should be good..the earlier after you finish any harvest, the better. Once it gets cold, I don't think decomposition will continue..and thats what you want.
For the size plot you have, you might want to explore a bulk delivery from a garden center if you have access. If you have a truck you could pick it up and spread as needed. The bags from a home center are pretty small, but heavy. You'd probably need enough bags to completely cover the garden if they were layed out unopened. What I mean is..say the bag is 2ft x 1.5ft in size You'd probably need 4 across and about 16 long. Thats 64 bags! Just sprinkling 1/2" over a 6 square foot area and tilling it in doesn't really do much.
The other thing about the stuff in the bags is, once its bagged, it pretty much stops decomposing. The bulk stuff sits in the bin and keeps cooking until you spread it.
Don't forget that soil test..its cheap and easy and will prevent you from throwing in a bunch of stuff you may not need.
For the size plot you have, you might want to explore a bulk delivery from a garden center if you have access. If you have a truck you could pick it up and spread as needed. The bags from a home center are pretty small, but heavy. You'd probably need enough bags to completely cover the garden if they were layed out unopened. What I mean is..say the bag is 2ft x 1.5ft in size You'd probably need 4 across and about 16 long. Thats 64 bags! Just sprinkling 1/2" over a 6 square foot area and tilling it in doesn't really do much.
The other thing about the stuff in the bags is, once its bagged, it pretty much stops decomposing. The bulk stuff sits in the bin and keeps cooking until you spread it.
Don't forget that soil test..its cheap and easy and will prevent you from throwing in a bunch of stuff you may not need.
spdavid
07-05-09, 12:53 PM
If there is any weed growth in the area kill it before you till as some weeds will regerminate from tiny bits and will survive to bug you next year.If you don't have a source for bulk compost and need as much as 64 bags that's a pallet so call around beyond big boxes and talk to them about a pallet and maybe a price break.