Will I be able to grow any veggies in this soil? incl pics

[yanix]

I recently moved to a new house and the garden is a little messed up.

I dug up a small area to grow some veggies and 3-4 days ago it was a period of heavy rain, and the top of the dug up soil was completely waterlogged.

I went into the garden today to check into it and I found that there was still water barely 10-15 cm below the surface.

I was planning on adding some manure to improve the soil but the whole garden seems to get waterlogged easily, so I was wondering if it is possible to grow anything in this soil?

Here are some pics.

[rainbowgardener]

You didn't tell us where you are located. There are hardly any garden questions that can be answered without regard to location and climate. There are a number of edibles that like/ tolerate wet soil, but many of them are warm climate stuff like taro, that wouldn't work for you if you are in Minnesota...

Basically there are two directions you can go: Turn your little plot into a raised bed, at least 12, preferably 18" deep, and fill it with good loose soil. Then you will have plenty of drainage and it won't matter that what is underneath is wet.

OR grow stuff that likes staying wet. Watercress would be a classic example and it grows in a very wide range of climates (zones 2 -11!). Other possibilities include arugula, groundnut, celery, broccoli, cabbage, mint ....

[digitS']

My first job, working off the farm, was digging a "French drain" for a neighbor. He was just trying to move water off a wide lawn area towards a ditch that ran along his property line. If your garden area is a little above nearby ground and really, whether it is or not,the technique may work for you.

I have long gardened on soil that drains very quickly. That's because there are several hundred feet of sand, pea gravel ... boulders! I can certainly understand how coarse sand is a good soil addition choice for some gardens. It just isn't necessary here!

Steve

[imafan26]

Location does matter.
It is hard to tell what your soil is like since it is so wet, but it is probably clay.

It is best not to try to work wet soil at any time. It ruins the structure of the soil and when it dries, it will dry in clods which will take a long while to fix itself.

It is getting close to summer. It would be a good time to start planning a garden and if you live in a milder climate you may be able to plant in the fall.

No matter where you are these things you must have for a successful garden

1. The garden must get at least 6 hours of full sun
2. If you are doing and in ground garden, the ground must be well drained and not infiltrated with tree roots. When it rains, water should not be puddling in the area.
3. If you are going to do an in ground bed, get a soil test first. You will need for the soil to dry out to do that.
You can usually get a soil test done at your local University extension service for a small cost.
4. If you are building a raised bed, you still should not pick the low spot in the yard for it.
5. In a raised bed (I build mine with two layers of hollow tile, dry stacked. It lasts forever, no rot issues that you would have with wood. Anchor the tiles with rebar and make sure that the bed is no wider than 4 ft and you should be able to walk around the bed to work it from all sides. Do not put the bed up against a garden wall or fence. You should have at least 3-5 ft clearance for maintenance and to prevent problems of reflected heat and poor air circulation caused the the proximity of the fence. The clearance also keeps your plants on your side of the fence.
6. The easiest and most economical way to fill a raised bed is by sheet mulching.
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/s ... osting.pdf
If you build it now, it will be ready to plant in the fall or the Spring.
7. Depending on where you live, you have a planting window for most plants. You can look up your planting dates for the crops you have in mind for your area.


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