Hello!
So my fiancé & I are renovating our backyard in preparation for our fall garden wedding. I’ve taken out existing plants and excavated 8-10 inches of soil (Mainly to remove existing roots and poor soil). My plan is to add 8-10 inches of a nutrient rich soil blend (consisting of Sandy Loam, WonderGrow Organic Compost, Rice Hulls, Chicken Manure, Grape Compost, Fir Bark, Cocoa Bean Hulls) instead of amending the existing subsoil (Sand-35%, Silt-6%, Clay-59%) with 100% compost. I'm concerned that the layer of compacted subsoil beneath may impede drainage and may not allow for extensive root growth. Will the nutrient rich soil blend improve the organic matter content of the existing subsoil similar to applying a layer of compost on subsoil?
Your expert advice is greatly appreciated!
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normdaworm
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon May 13, 2013 4:47 pm
IMO life begets life. The more low nitrogen organic material you work into to your existing soil and sub soil. The greater number of micro-herd will be able to support themselves in your soil.
At best replacement is a lateral move (instead of a progressive one). Plant a couple sets of annual rye and till each under after it is a foot tall. By the time of roto-tilling the second planting your soil will be notably better.
Built up or replaced it will be the third or fourth summer before your gardens micro-herd is at its peak.
At best replacement is a lateral move (instead of a progressive one). Plant a couple sets of annual rye and till each under after it is a foot tall. By the time of roto-tilling the second planting your soil will be notably better.
Built up or replaced it will be the third or fourth summer before your gardens micro-herd is at its peak.
Getting the garden ready for fall will be a tough job.
Till in as much organic matter as you can into the soil. Compost 3-4 inches. Also add manure and bone meal. Think about installing a sprinkler system. If your idea of a nice garden is mostly grass, then you will need to grade the soil so that water flows away from the foundation and does not puddle or pool anywhere. Water the soil after it is prepared until it is wet about 4 inches down. When the soil about 2 inches down is almost dry water again. It may be once or twice a week for about and hour. Pull up any weeds that sprout. Continue watering and weeding until most of the weeds are gone.
You could plant grass by sod, most expensive but you will end up with an instant lawn.
Plugs and stolons will take about 4-6 months to fill in.
Grass seed, will still take about 4-6 months to fill in.
You will need to water up to 4 times a day (why the sprinkler is a good thing to have) until the grass takes. Once the grass is established you can slowly back off on the water until you are back to watering and hour twice a week. Feed grass with a high nitrogen fertilizer water soluble fish emulsion once every couple of weeks or another nitrogen rich source every month. Organic fertilizers are slow release so grass won't grow as fast in the beginning as it would if you use a synthetic fertilizer.
You will still have to weed the grass and avoid walking on it as much as possible until it is ready to take traffic.
You can do a drainage test to see how well the soil drains. Over time if you aerate, dethatch, topdress and water the area, the soil will slowly improve but it will take years from where you are starting. If you have properly graded the area water should be directed back to the street or rain garden through the swale. If your soil drainage test isn't very good, then you may have to install a french drain first.
You should be adding compost to the soil every year.
https://www.cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes/219.html
Till in as much organic matter as you can into the soil. Compost 3-4 inches. Also add manure and bone meal. Think about installing a sprinkler system. If your idea of a nice garden is mostly grass, then you will need to grade the soil so that water flows away from the foundation and does not puddle or pool anywhere. Water the soil after it is prepared until it is wet about 4 inches down. When the soil about 2 inches down is almost dry water again. It may be once or twice a week for about and hour. Pull up any weeds that sprout. Continue watering and weeding until most of the weeds are gone.
You could plant grass by sod, most expensive but you will end up with an instant lawn.
Plugs and stolons will take about 4-6 months to fill in.
Grass seed, will still take about 4-6 months to fill in.
You will need to water up to 4 times a day (why the sprinkler is a good thing to have) until the grass takes. Once the grass is established you can slowly back off on the water until you are back to watering and hour twice a week. Feed grass with a high nitrogen fertilizer water soluble fish emulsion once every couple of weeks or another nitrogen rich source every month. Organic fertilizers are slow release so grass won't grow as fast in the beginning as it would if you use a synthetic fertilizer.
You will still have to weed the grass and avoid walking on it as much as possible until it is ready to take traffic.
You can do a drainage test to see how well the soil drains. Over time if you aerate, dethatch, topdress and water the area, the soil will slowly improve but it will take years from where you are starting. If you have properly graded the area water should be directed back to the street or rain garden through the swale. If your soil drainage test isn't very good, then you may have to install a french drain first.
You should be adding compost to the soil every year.
https://www.cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes/219.html
I'm still learning, but here is how I understand it in simple terms ..... (I may be wrong?)
soil consists of very small fragments of rock/minerals (the majority of the composition) with a bit of decomposed organic matter (plant material/compost) ....
so, IMHO, the best combination that you can give your plants is good quality topsoil, with a bit of compost/manure, but the majority of the composition must be topsoil
I tend to add things like volcanic rock dust which gives over 70 different minerals etc
try growing seeds in pure horse manure and see what happens .... stick in in normal garden topsoil and it thrives ....
soil consists of very small fragments of rock/minerals (the majority of the composition) with a bit of decomposed organic matter (plant material/compost) ....
so, IMHO, the best combination that you can give your plants is good quality topsoil, with a bit of compost/manure, but the majority of the composition must be topsoil
I tend to add things like volcanic rock dust which gives over 70 different minerals etc
try growing seeds in pure horse manure and see what happens .... stick in in normal garden topsoil and it thrives ....
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ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Dim
Dirt is what gets tracked into the house and cleaned out.
Soil that is rich should contain more than minerals and bits of eroded rock. A living soil needs organic matter. Sure you can plant in topsoil. But true topsoil is only about 4 inches thick and is found on the forest floors and under prairie grass. It contains organic matter and is full of life.
You can make dirt work by adding fertilizer and things will grow, but synthetic fertilizer will not keep that dirt from washing away with the wind and rain or keep it from drying out and becoming cement.
Only by adding organic matter can you build soil. A healthy soil is full of life. It has the capacity to improve soil tilth, retain water, improve cec, and store and release nutrients that can be taken up by plants. It is the completion of the circle of life.
If you want to create a garden or renovate a lawn or shrub border, the best thing to do first before getting the plants and seed, is to make the soil the best that it can be by adding organic matter and nutrients, and to top dress with organic matter every year.
Yards and gardens are planted and things grow for awhile, but if it is not taken care of, not given enough water or fertilizer or people keep tramping on it, eventually it becomes compacted, dry and plants begin to suffer. Even with water and fertilizer, if plants are harvested and nothing is returned or no organic matter is added then the soil compacts, making it hard for water and nutrients to be held. Roots can't spread in compacted soil and plants may suffer.
People take for granted that plants are living things and some are annuals and need to be replaced every year while others can last a few years with good care. Plants are not plastic, they can't be in bloom or fruit all of the time and they can't live very well without food or water. They also keep growing and may need dividing or pruning to keep them healthy and control size. Weeds will grow too and compete with plants space and food and insects and disease will attack weak plants.
Dirt is what gets tracked into the house and cleaned out.
Soil that is rich should contain more than minerals and bits of eroded rock. A living soil needs organic matter. Sure you can plant in topsoil. But true topsoil is only about 4 inches thick and is found on the forest floors and under prairie grass. It contains organic matter and is full of life.
You can make dirt work by adding fertilizer and things will grow, but synthetic fertilizer will not keep that dirt from washing away with the wind and rain or keep it from drying out and becoming cement.
Only by adding organic matter can you build soil. A healthy soil is full of life. It has the capacity to improve soil tilth, retain water, improve cec, and store and release nutrients that can be taken up by plants. It is the completion of the circle of life.
If you want to create a garden or renovate a lawn or shrub border, the best thing to do first before getting the plants and seed, is to make the soil the best that it can be by adding organic matter and nutrients, and to top dress with organic matter every year.
Yards and gardens are planted and things grow for awhile, but if it is not taken care of, not given enough water or fertilizer or people keep tramping on it, eventually it becomes compacted, dry and plants begin to suffer. Even with water and fertilizer, if plants are harvested and nothing is returned or no organic matter is added then the soil compacts, making it hard for water and nutrients to be held. Roots can't spread in compacted soil and plants may suffer.
People take for granted that plants are living things and some are annuals and need to be replaced every year while others can last a few years with good care. Plants are not plastic, they can't be in bloom or fruit all of the time and they can't live very well without food or water. They also keep growing and may need dividing or pruning to keep them healthy and control size. Weeds will grow too and compete with plants space and food and insects and disease will attack weak plants.