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 Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:58 pm
I’m planting my first vegetable garden this year. I’ve already picked out a spot but nothing has ever been planted there except some wild flowers. I could really use some advice on preparing the soil for my future garden.
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 5:14 pm
The soil will need to be dug under to prepare it for planting. A roto-tiller is easier than doing it manually. Digging up the soil also aids in locating rocks and roots that would need to be pulled.
I would also suggest adding in some organic matter like compost and peat moss. (preferably both) Compost helps to enrich the soil with nutrients and peat moss helps the texture of the soil and improve drainage.
If you want to get away with the bare minimum, I'd say dig in some compost with a pitchfork.
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:08 am
Okay, I tried to leave this one alone, but----
First of all, don't prepare more ground than you are ready to plant in just a few days. Sudden storms can really wash out your soil (as in the 1930's Dustbowl days), and between the wind and the birds, lots can get planted that you just tilled under, or dug out.
Second, if you use a tiller, be sure to rake out every little bit of anything that looks green or has a root! Lots of plants will regrow from a very small bit of root or stem---and you don't want to start a bunch of cuttings out there, unless you have a good market for them!
Third, don't pull out every rock that you see. Some rocks help with drainage, and that can make all the difference in growing great veggies! Most herbs that we use are originally Mediterranean plants, and naturally grow in rather poor, dry soil.
Fourth, you probably have a County Extension service that can test your soil for you, and tell you if there are any amendments like Lime that you might want to add to correct the ph or just add a nutrient that is missing in your area.
Fifth, when you plant, be sure to mulch!!!!!!! This will save you more time and energy than you can even imagine!! I have come to really prefer shredded newspaper for mulch----straw is wonderful, but where I am, there is often wheat in the straw, which just presents a problem. Newspaper is easy to pick up for nothing, breaks down right in the garden, and is easy to loosen up after a storm. I don't have slugs in my garden, but they can be a problem with any mulch that you want to be aware of.
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:48 pm
One more thing---
I was just out working in my garden, listening to some bullfrogs that have set up housekeeping in an old stocktank that is set in the ground out there. Be sure to make a little spot for yourself there somewhere to just sit and enjoy your handiwork!
There is an old saying ---the best fertilizer is the footsteps of the gardener.
Make it a fun place to be!
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