I have found a nice plot about 30'x30' to put a garden in. The soil is sandy but has some black mater mixed in when I tilled the plot. The plot was woods that got cleared for our yard and house there are pine trees and oaks. Hope that helps with the soil. The summers hear in NC are hot so I'm gunning for next spring that starts in March around hear to start to plant. I figured now would be a good time to get the soil rich and ready for next year.
I do compost so I have that around, I also make some organic tea for the yard to help the grass, so I have that also. I a ton of ashes for our fire pit that I would like to add but not sure if they would go well in the garden. I guessing it would be, should be rich in nitrogen right?
I'm big on doing things greens and I love to garden so any and help is needed to get started.
-
David Taylor
- Cool Member
- Posts: 88
- Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 12:21 pm
- Location: Crest California
Actually, ash is high in potash, potassium, but it is good for the soil, although my Rodale's Garden Answers book says you shouldn't apply ash more than every three or four years. They don't say how much. If the soil is too sandy, you could have problems with retention, but good compost usually handles that.
Pine needles aren't real good raw in the soil, they need to be composted, and I seem to recall using oak leaves to increase acidity, so if you're soil isn't too alkaline, you might want to compost those first as well.
Pine needles aren't real good raw in the soil, they need to be composted, and I seem to recall using oak leaves to increase acidity, so if you're soil isn't too alkaline, you might want to compost those first as well.
-
GeorgiaGirl
- Senior Member
- Posts: 228
- Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2009 2:08 pm
- Location: Metro Atlanta, GA (zone 7)
I would sheet mulch the plot... pile on layers of things that will compost together over the summer, fall and winter so that by springtime, that sandy soil will be rich with humus and earthworms and microbes.
For example:
1. A layer of grass clippings (a THIN layer or else they will mat)
2. A layer of dead leaves or newspapers (maybe with a light sprinkling of lime if you use a lot of pine needles)
(Repeat those two layers if you have enough material)
3. Very light sprinkling of ash
4. Several inches of compost (doesn't have to be all the way cured, since it'll have three seasons to finish "cooking")
5. A thick layer (several inches) of wheat straw to keep moisture in and minimize weeds
Moisten each layer as you put it down... then let it sit. It will compost in place and leave you with a garden plot that is rich and humus-y by spring!
For example:
1. A layer of grass clippings (a THIN layer or else they will mat)
2. A layer of dead leaves or newspapers (maybe with a light sprinkling of lime if you use a lot of pine needles)
(Repeat those two layers if you have enough material)
3. Very light sprinkling of ash
4. Several inches of compost (doesn't have to be all the way cured, since it'll have three seasons to finish "cooking")
5. A thick layer (several inches) of wheat straw to keep moisture in and minimize weeds
Moisten each layer as you put it down... then let it sit. It will compost in place and leave you with a garden plot that is rich and humus-y by spring!
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30543
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Sheet mulching is my favorite method for prepping a garden bed.
Things I do a little different are:
(1) I don't till/dig. I just fork the ground to fracture the soil. Usually, the area starts out as lawn. (Big proponent of no-till gardening
)
(2) The bottom layer is usually weeds and 1/2 finished compost including decomposed and not so decomposed sticks, and anything that may contain weed roots and seeds that might want to sprout. I also add Greensand, Dolomite Lime, and Rock Phosphate if necessary.
(3) I use wet cardboard if I'm prepping for next season and at least 3 wet layers of newsprint/kraft paper packaging stuffers if planning to plant right away (paper's easier to poke through)
(4) Top with a layer of sand depending on what I plant, good garden soil from other parts of garden, 1" screened compost, bagged mushroom compost, etc.,
(5) Final mulch of leaves, seed-free grass clippings (or alfalfa pellets if I don't have enough greens), straw.
For next spring's bed, I wouldn't prep until piles of leaves are falling. Then there'll be plenty of materials to use. There's usually a surplus of fall decoration straw too. If you prep now and don't plant anything, all kinds of seeds are going to find their way there and you'll have a weed garden. If prepping now, you can plant some fast maturing fall crops -- selection depends on your location -- or plant some cover crops that will winter-kill.
If you're leaving the bed bare over the winter, put some branches (or a netting) on top to keep the leaves and straw from blowing away.
Things I do a little different are:
(1) I don't till/dig. I just fork the ground to fracture the soil. Usually, the area starts out as lawn. (Big proponent of no-till gardening
)(2) The bottom layer is usually weeds and 1/2 finished compost including decomposed and not so decomposed sticks, and anything that may contain weed roots and seeds that might want to sprout. I also add Greensand, Dolomite Lime, and Rock Phosphate if necessary.
(3) I use wet cardboard if I'm prepping for next season and at least 3 wet layers of newsprint/kraft paper packaging stuffers if planning to plant right away (paper's easier to poke through)
(4) Top with a layer of sand depending on what I plant, good garden soil from other parts of garden, 1" screened compost, bagged mushroom compost, etc.,
(5) Final mulch of leaves, seed-free grass clippings (or alfalfa pellets if I don't have enough greens), straw.
For next spring's bed, I wouldn't prep until piles of leaves are falling. Then there'll be plenty of materials to use. There's usually a surplus of fall decoration straw too. If you prep now and don't plant anything, all kinds of seeds are going to find their way there and you'll have a weed garden. If prepping now, you can plant some fast maturing fall crops -- selection depends on your location -- or plant some cover crops that will winter-kill.
If you're leaving the bed bare over the winter, put some branches (or a netting) on top to keep the leaves and straw from blowing away.
Nice technique Apple Star! I had a area in my garden that was so bad with wild vines that I just left it grow. Yesterday I pulled out a old lettuce bed. I had alot of tall one foot lettuce so I pitched it on top of the vines then placed several layers of news papers on top of the lettuce. I then put a 3 inch layer of good top soil from the garden top the paper and sprinkled some ground up pine on top. I planted a mix of radish and beets on top the mix and watered it! I think it will work. What do you think?