Susa
Full Member
Posts: 33
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 2:01 pm
Location: North Florida

Double dug bed from dark, rich soil to sandy

Our soil is dusty sand. When we prepared our beds we double dug, hauled away half of the sand from each bed, and put in manure, leaf mold, alfalfa meal, and mulched with straw or leaves. A few weeks ago the soil was dark and retained water and smelled lovely. Today I noticed that the water rolled out from under the mulch and upon inspection I see that the soil is going back to being more sand! Is that normal for our hot Florida climate? Other than mulch and add more organic matter once the plants are done in by the summer heat, is there anything I can do?
Thanks

Dillbert
Greener Thumb
Posts: 955
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 3:29 pm
Location: Central PA

you just have to keep adding organic matter -

"amounts" can be deceiving - what looks like a huge heap (a) breaks down in a season and (b) as measured by weight, really isn't all that big of a percentage.

I started one garden with heavy clay (same 'solution' tho) and it took 4-5 years / seasons of digging in everything I could get my hands on before the soil was markedly different. I was buying mushroom soil by the semi-dumper load - 20 cubic yards at a clip - for three years. that may help a bit with the perspective.

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30504
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I'm thinking summer cover crops might be the answer... But I've no idea what is suitable for Florida. Something that doesn't mind the heat... Southern peas? Buckwheat?



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