Question about new garden

[writerskramp]

Car parts. Is that like a secret sauce? Makes the plants grow big and strong?

Yes it is but it's a secret..

 

[Sally PB]

and using a tiller kicks my old behind.

Is it a front tine tiller? Those will rattle your eyeballs. A rear tine tiller is a whole 'nother animal.

But if you don't have to break up soil, you don't necessarily have to till.

 

[Percheron chick]

Yes it is but it's a secret..

Lips are sealed.

 

[writerskramp]

Is it a front tine tiller? Those will rattle your eyeballs. A rear tine tiller is a whole 'nother animal.

But if you don't have to break up soil, you don't necessarily have to till.

Have had both.. Loved the rear tine till it threw a crankshaft.. and was the largest.. Currently a front tine.. hate em' but price was right and don't use it often.. Fork it!

 

[writerskramp]

Lips are sealed.

Thank yous.. Bernie

 

[Scrumdidlyump]

Check out Lasagna Gardening from your local library. It has great methodology for building up dirt in layers fast and cheap. Basically, a thin compost pile you can plant in immediately- brown green brown green brown green.
Ive done it over horrible soil with excellent results.

 

[addctd2plnts]

I would not use top soil either. I'll never forget the landscapers bringing in topsoil to fill an area where we put up a wall to level out the back yard. OMG there was nothing but thousands of those quack grass nuts in it! Since then I always use compost mixed with bales of peat. Except don't use peat from the box stores. Pro Mix peat comes with Mycorrhizae in it which help the plant roots tremendously. I then add a bunch of things like Azomite trace minerals, Biochar, gypsum, 14-14-14 slow release fertilizer, and Micromax trace minerals https://icl-sf.com/uk-en/products/ornamental_horticulture/8903-micromax-premium/ It's not cheap but lasts a long time. Or they make it in a water soluble formula that you can spray on when plants look like they need a boost: https://icl-sf.com/uk-en/products/specialty_agriculture/2995-fe-chelate-eddha-6/ The last thing I found that I spray weekly on plants in the early morning is the secret to looking like you're a Master Gardener LOL It's a natural substance plants make to protect themselves from disease. It's sold under the name Axiom https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/axiom-growth-stimulant/organic-soil-conditioners When you make up a sprayer full you have to use it because it degrades. I spray it on everything from my fruit trees to the lawn. The year I was really anal about it, the place looked like The Botanical Gardens in St. Louis LOL

 

[FloorCandy]

I ended up putting soiled deep bedding from the winter over the ground, then topsoil, which was terrible and very clay like. Then I put a few huge bags of container soil over it Because it was bad, and mixed it around a bit with the metal rake. I put the plants in holes that I dug out and then lined with potting soil. They seem to be doing well so far, it’s only been like a week though, and I still have some more to add.

I have a compost tumbler now, and I plan to brick off a new extension of the garden later in the year, I’ll put my finished compost there and cover it with a tarp. By next spring I can remove the old bed wall so the extension becomes part of the bed, I might try this four to six feet per year or so until I have enough space ready.

 

[addctd2plnts]

I ended up putting soiled deep bedding from the winter over the ground, then topsoil, which was terrible and very clay like. Then I put a few huge bags of container soil over it Because it was bad, and mixed it around a bit with the metal rake. I put the plants in holes that I dug out and then lined with potting soil. They seem to be doing well so far, it’s only been like a week though, and I still have some more to add.

I have a compost tumbler now, and I plan to brick off a new extension of the garden later in the year, I’ll put my finished compost there and cover it with a tarp. By next spring I can remove the old bed wall so the extension becomes part of the bed, I might try this four to six feet per year or so until I have enough space ready.

We have horses and add a huge pile of compost every Spring to 1/4 acre garden. Ours was all clay. The best thing I added last year was an entire tandam of leaf mold. Hubby was angry that I bought it, but when you go to The St. Louis Botanical Garden they use leak mold as their mulch and mix it into soil before planting. It made my solid light brown clay light, loamy, and dark black! I can now plant with my hands. Also took a trick from another gardener and I buy coarse pumice to add to clay areas with leaf mold and compost. It helps aerate soil and keep it from packing.

If you want compost there will be horse farms giving away free. As long as it's from the previous year and well decomposed, you could mix it right in and use that ground. Gypsum helps break up clay soil too and is cheap.