Garden Advice Needed

[Dad 4 Boys]

We're converting a small play area to a garden plot that we intend to plant next spring. It's approximately 8' x 8' and is enclosed with landscaping timbers. Previously, it was full of pea gravel where the kids would play with their trucks, tractors and things.

 

The pea gravel has been removed, and we plan to fill it up with topsoil by the bag from Home Depot. The topsoil will be about 6 inches deep on average. I plan to till it in with the existing soil.

 

Now here's the question. What kind of additives and how much should go into the plot this fall to get it ready for spring planting? I've gotten suggestions like lime, fertilizer, etc., but nothing concrete as far as details.

[ChrisB]

Have you ever heard of Square Foot Gardening? The soil mix is vermiculite, peat moss and compost.

[Julie in CA]

Check out Square Foot Gardening or Lasagna gardening. They both are fairly specific about how to prepare your planting area. Different methods, but both good!

[1Togo]

I agree. Check out Square Foot Gardening. However, soil in some yards many need amending to more than a depth of six inches. You will know by the end of your first gardening season. We dug out and amended to 1.5 feet, and there was still so much clay that water collected and rotted the roots of deep-growing vegetables. We're going with Earth Boxes next year.

Edited November 3, 2010 by 1Togo

[Blueridge]

This is what we did when we dug up a small (12x12) portion of our front yard for a garden. We removed the grass in the fall (not fun, because our soil is thick red clay) and smoothed the soil. Then my dh built 2 nice sturdy raised beds (Sq Ft Gardening has directions) and placed them on the top of newspaper and thin cardboard that we laid on the bare soil. All the while we had 2 compost bins near that we were constantly adding to with veggie scraps, leaves, grass, etc. The compost was ready by early spring and was added to the raised beds, along with nice bagged loamy-garden soil from the local nursery. Then we took a small sample of the raised bed soil and sent it to the Extension Agent for analysis. It was very helpful, and said that it needed nitrogen, so we added a lot of composted chicken poo and bagged composted manure that we also got from the nursery. Mixed it all up. Worked like a charm. Have fun gardening!

[brehon]

Can you have your soil analyzed? I mean after you've tilled in the soil from HD. That will give you the best idea of what you should add to your soil. My county extension office will analyze soil, though it does cost money. You could also buy a kit to check different things (pH, K+, P+, N+, etc). Definitely start a compost pile; myriad ways to do that.

 

Just know that several crops need more than 6" depth; so, you might consider building true raised beds. Square Foot Gardener or any decent gardening book will have directions. You can of course simply dig down deeper than 6".

[DarcyB]

I'll also be a nay-sayer about the landscaping timbers. Are they treated wood timbers? These wouldn't be safe encircling your garden with the arsenic that are in them, depending if they are the older treated timbers. If they're newer, they are treated with non-arsenic chemicals, but leeching can and does still occur. You might want to look at replacing them with redwood timbers. You can get seconds at the lumber store for a fraction of the cost. These are the ones that are perfectly fine for these projects, but aren't cosmetically perfect.

 

We don't use the Sq. Ft. Gardening mix (but follow the premise) since we don't use peat moss (it's anti-microbial), but we use lava sand, green sand, and manure along with the soil plus supplement with chicken poo and bat guano and . We built up our garden instead of going down since our soil is heavily clay. We did the same as a previous poster...but we started with a heavy layer of sugar (helps compost the living matter faster), layers of newspaper, layers of cardboard, then our soil and ammendments. (you can see pics on our blog). Then we cover with a heavy, heavy layer of mulch and treat with a good douse of compost tea for the plants.

[joni470]

I highly recommend Lasagna Gardening...If you want it I'll send you my copy.

 

-Savannah

http://www.hammocktracks.com

[MotherGoose]

Put in as much compost as you can afford. Don't just use "topsoil" or "potting soil" use something like Black Kow or Mushroom compost. The topsoil is nothing but sand and sticks usually.

[ChrisB]

I'll also be a nay-sayer about the landscaping timbers. Are they treated wood timbers? These wouldn't be safe encircling your garden with the arsenic that are in them, depending if they are the older treated timbers. If they're newer, they are treated with non-arsenic chemicals, but leeching can and does still occur. You might want to look at replacing them with redwood timbers. You can get seconds at the lumber store for a fraction of the cost. These are the ones that are perfectly fine for these projects, but aren't cosmetically perfect.

:iagree: re: the timbers.

[OrganicAnn]

You need a mix of top soil and compost. If the top soil and compost are not well balanced, then you might need additives. But if you have good (organic!) top soil and compost, then you probably don't need anything else. Although individual vegetables have specific requirements for more of this and less of that.

 

Agree with the timbers - be careful and make sure they are untreated.

 

The reason to grow your own veggies (beside the wonderful taste) is that you get to control the chemicals they are exposed to. So don't contaminate them with chemicals from nonorganic soils, pesticides, chemicals in wood, etc.

[LauraGB]

You need a mix of top soil and compost. If the top soil and compost are not well balanced, then you might need additives. But if you have good (organic!) top soil and compost, then you probably don't need anything else. Although individual vegetables have specific requirements for more of this and less of that.

 

Agree with the timbers - be careful and make sure they are untreated.

 

The reason to grow your own veggies (beside the wonderful taste) is that you get to control the chemicals they are exposed to. So don't contaminate them with chemicals from nonorganic soils, pesticides, chemicals in wood, etc.

 

:iagree: This is exactly what I did when we converted our play area into a garden area (isn't that funny?). We did do the square beds, though, and left the woodchips (that's what we had instead of pea gravel) in the pathway between the beds.

 

Another suggestion is to rake all your leaves and mow over them to grind them a bit and toss that into the dirt now so they can break down over the winter. If you are still cutting the grass, those clippings can get tossed in there, too (provided there are no chemicals on your lawn). If you have composting waste (peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, etc), pitch that in, too, so they can break down. Just be sure to rake them in really well. I know it's not as conventional as a composting bin or anything, but it's what we do every fall after everything is harvested and my dirt looks better every spring :).