Greetings all!
I have a 50x50 garden that I have been working on for a few years, with a repeated pattern of only being able to produce squash and minipumpkins out of it.
I have tried many!! other fruits, veggies, flowers, and the ONLY thing that this soil seems to produce (and does it fairly well) is squash or minipumpkins. (No big ones)
What does this tell you soil and/or gardening experts?
I have had onions, tomatos, corn, beans, peas, cucumber plants start and then just die off. It seems to tell me that the soil is rich in some things and completely lacking in others. But...which ones ?
I am ALL ears and interested in your input!
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DoubleDogFarm
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 6113
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
wood ash is high in potash - which also can affect your pH.
how drastic the effect may be / have been really depends on how much wood burned down to ash.
that said, it's also highly soluble - couple years fallow should have leeched much/most of it away unless the garden spot in in a hollow and doesn't drain well.
how drastic the effect may be / have been really depends on how much wood burned down to ash.
that said, it's also highly soluble - couple years fallow should have leeched much/most of it away unless the garden spot in in a hollow and doesn't drain well.
Hi Mr Pumpkin,
I'm going to third the suggestion for a soil test. The link that Dillbert posted has all the details, but in summary, you take a few samples of soil from your garden, send it off with your check (I think $15 in your state), and they send back an analysis of your soil, along with recommendations on what to add to get better results.
Maybe your hoping to save a few bucks by skipping this, but think about the time, effort and cash you put into your garden already. In your situation, I'd probably go for it.
Otherwise, some things you could try:
* Make sure your spot gets enough sunlight. 8-10 hours a day for veggies
* Is it too little or too much water? When you water, dig down to make sure that the soil is wet 3-6 inches down, and not just on the surface.
* Improve your soil by adding compost that you make yourself from kitchen scraps and leaves etc
* You could give up on improving the soil that's there, and make a raised bed by making a frame of wood beams and filling it with garden soil that you buy
Good luck!
I'm going to third the suggestion for a soil test. The link that Dillbert posted has all the details, but in summary, you take a few samples of soil from your garden, send it off with your check (I think $15 in your state), and they send back an analysis of your soil, along with recommendations on what to add to get better results.
Maybe your hoping to save a few bucks by skipping this, but think about the time, effort and cash you put into your garden already. In your situation, I'd probably go for it.
Otherwise, some things you could try:
* Make sure your spot gets enough sunlight. 8-10 hours a day for veggies
* Is it too little or too much water? When you water, dig down to make sure that the soil is wet 3-6 inches down, and not just on the surface.
* Improve your soil by adding compost that you make yourself from kitchen scraps and leaves etc
* You could give up on improving the soil that's there, and make a raised bed by making a frame of wood beams and filling it with garden soil that you buy
Good luck!