new organic gardener needs help with soil question

Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:57 pm

Hi,
I have spent hours online trying to figure out what soil to use. I know it's a big topic and the best is to use my own compost. However, I only began my compost this week and it will not be ready in time for planting in late March. I need to buy some soil for my raised beds.
I want organic (no pesticides/herbicides) safe toxin free soil. What company does anyone recommend? I know "organic" is misused and misleading in many cases, which I why I need your help on this. Also, do I buy top soil or potting soil?
Anyone's help will be much appreciated!!
Susan

Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:34 pm

If you're going to till or plow your garden spot, you might (?) be able to get started by amending the native soil with peat moss.
Depending on your location in Tennessee, you may have a clay soil, and the peat will help to loosen and aerate that soil.
By "plowing under" or "tilling in" the native sod, that might (?) make the soil fertile enough for you initial garden; and you can add compost later as it comes available to you.

That would be one (of many) ways to possibly start off organically.

Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:56 pm

What size garden are you planning to plant this year?

Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:34 pm

Hi,
We plan on doing two 4x4 raised cedar beds - veggies. The soil is hard, clay like and red (we live in East TN on Douglas Lake). I don't think the existing soil is a good plan. My main question is:

Is there any non-toxic soil on the market that I can buy for this? And what kind? Top soil or potting soil? I just need to know the least mildest offender...as I know that compost is the answer and we'll have that ready hopefully by the fall planting.
My dad bought Miracle Grow Organic Soil and I know that organic is a tricky and misused term and MG is a big corporation who uses many chemicals. I may take it back...need to hear from experienced gardeners on what to use in the interim period??
Thank you!
Susan

Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:38 pm

I don't have enough information to recommend companies, but I would get mostly topsoil, with a bit of potting soil to lighten it up. Put down your topsoil, potting soil, and any other organic materials you can come up with -- some grass clippings, fall leaves if there's any still around, well aged composted manure, etc. Mix it all together.

Tue Feb 08, 2011 6:40 pm

Sheet mulching is my favorite way to start a raised bed. I "fork" the clay subsoil first. Here is an older post with step-by-step description:
http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... hing#84563

Tue Feb 08, 2011 11:45 pm

Thanks for the suggestions. but Applestar's suggestion was for a next year's garden. And I need something next month. I'll just use my own intuition when choosing the best soil to buy then. Hasn't anyone else every been in this boat...just starting out, no compost yet...what soil do you buy that's organic??
Thanks -
Susan

Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:43 am

susane22 wrote:...My dad bought Miracle Grow Organic Soil and I know that organic is a tricky and misused term and MG is a big corporation who uses many chemicals. ...Susan

It's most likely the Miracle Grow ORGANIC Soil will be fine to fill your raised beds and begin gardening.
Even though Miracle Grow has the reputation of being a "big chemical" company, more of those are jumping on the "organic" bandwagon.

I looked up the "Organic Choice Garden Soil" at their web site, and they say ... "Contains an exclusive mix of 100% organic ingredients: compost, sphagnum peat moss and manure. Natural fertilizers provide both quick- and slow-release feeding to get plants off to a fast start and keep them growing. Delivers nearly double the yields of topsoil naturally".
I see nothing that looks scary there; I think you're good to go with that product.

Best of luck with the garden ... say hello to all the Jefferson County folk for me!

Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:10 am

Here's a thread with some discussion of the Miracle Grow Organic Soil when it first came out on the market. There's also a link to a second thread here at the forum about the same product:

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... p?p=125591

Hope you find a product that works for you soon.

(And have you set up your own compost for next time?)

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

Wed Feb 09, 2011 3:07 am

I've sheet mulched then allowed about 1 month mellowing time and planted and did OK. Cardboard doesn't break down as well with the short prep time but layers of newsprint shipping paper does. I used straw and spoiled hay as mulch on top. After 3 to 4 wks, earthworms were having parties all over and under the paper.

Used turned over sod on the bottom, topsoil dug out from the paths down to the clay subsoil mixed with compost for the one I made last year. Other times when I needed bagged stuff due to own compost shortage, I used mushroom compost, Gardeners Gold organic Bumpercrop soil amendment, and bagged topsoil. Gardeners Gold sells organic potting soil that I really like. Another one I like is Pro-mix Ultimate organic potting soil. both very pricy though. A couple of other organic potting soil brands were discussed recently by a few other members....

Oh yes -- don't forget to stop at your local Starbucks and ask for used coffee grounds. :wink:

Don't buy soggy flattened bags of bagged anything as they have gone anaerobic. If the product smells sour on opening, don't use. Trust me I speak from experience. :roll:

Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:08 am

I work with bad soil all the time! In a raised bed like you have what I would do depends on how high from the surface the bed will be! If you ae using a 8 inch board I would dig the 6 inches of soil from each bed and mixe it with your compost pile. I would go to the lake and get a few buckets of sea weed for the base of the raised beds! I would then mix about 8 to 10 inches of strained top soil and sand and add some peat moss to the mix and you are ready to plant! Later in the summer add the compost you are making! A mild ferilizer is optional. That is what I would do!!

Thu Feb 10, 2011 5:52 pm

Many companies locally sell organic compost depending on where you live. Depending on how large you are planning to make your garden a lot of companies sell compost online to be shipped, but shipping can be expensive. If neither of these options work for you, try mixing in steer manure as well as planting cover crops to increase the organic matter.

Wed Feb 16, 2011 2:41 pm

Susanne,

I'll pass on something that worked well for me last year as an experiment. I took 10 feet of hog fence which is very inexpensive. I made a bin out of this which will be 3 feet across. I filled it with all green composting material, let it settle a few days, filled it again and let it settle, then I put six inches of dirt on the top.

I grew beans, peppers and parsnips this way. They grew very well. I didn't use any fancy dirt. Just some I scraped up from around the yard. Over the summer, they will settle down, and in the spring you can put some plastic over the top and you have a ready made small greenhouse.

Here are 3 pictures of peppers, beans and parsnips growing in them. I got a little lazy about pictures at the end of the season, so you won't see a vegetables yet, but they did well.

I have about 10 of these scattered around the yard in places I can't get the tiller to, or on the sidewalk on the side.

As long as I'm passing on tips, here is my favorite. The scuffle hoe. I go over the whole garden each day except my day of rest and I don't get any weeds.

Wed Feb 16, 2011 5:32 pm

gerhson,

If you are short on time and have some extra money, I would purchase a Hog Ring Gun and a box of D rings. It's made a big difference for us in cage building, fencing and gates.
http://www.gemplers.com/product/160240/ ... un-Stapler

I really like the stirrup hoe and my grubbing hoe.

Eric

Wed Feb 16, 2011 7:10 pm

Cheapskate that I am, for my small projects, I just cut one end of the fence with long pieces sticking out that I wrap around the other end with pliers. I also save extra pieces I cut off for other connecting uses. :wink:

I save the thin gauge wire they come wrapped with too. I guess I'm a packrat :roll:

but I keep remembering something I read in a historical fiction or space pioneering scifi novel: That exuded wire is one thing that's difficult to manufacture (on a small scale?). Don't even know if that's based on fact or not... but I save them.