Last week I planted my first garden and this week I planted my second - a 10ft by 10ft area with two rows of water mellon seeds on one end and two rows of corn seeds on the other. To prepare the area I dug about 8 inches deep, shoveling all the soil to the edges of the soon-to-be garden, then made rows mixed with compost, and planted the water mellon and corn seeds...
It was getting late and I was trying to finish before night fall and did not scoop back in the soil that was dug up. I'm concerned that I'll have a mud pool when it rains (although there was no pooling from watering them last night that I could see in the dark).
What should I do? Should I dig all the seeds up, fill in the ground, then replant? Will it be ok the way it is? Could I dig a ditch or drainage around the perimeter?
[img]https://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x372/learnorshare/projects1/f17c3df7.jpg[/img]
The plants at the corner and back are water mellon seedlings at the end of each row of water mellon seeds.
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austingardner
- Full Member
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:18 pm
- Location: Austin
What do you think about moving your extra soil to the side to store it for awhile, Austin? Will that allow drainage where, otherwise, there might be pooling of rainwater?
I am assuming that your topsoil is fairly deep or you wouldn't have done this in the first place.
If there are weeds and grass in that surface soil, you can use it as a compost ingredient. I think that soil, layered into a compost pile, is one of the best things to do. It helps assure composting takes place.
After the corn begins to grow, you can move soil back to hill around the stalks. I'm not sure about doing that around your watermelon plants. You could have planted the seeds in something of a hill but doing the opposite, planting in something of a basin is a common melon-planting technique.
Steve
I am assuming that your topsoil is fairly deep or you wouldn't have done this in the first place.
If there are weeds and grass in that surface soil, you can use it as a compost ingredient. I think that soil, layered into a compost pile, is one of the best things to do. It helps assure composting takes place.
After the corn begins to grow, you can move soil back to hill around the stalks. I'm not sure about doing that around your watermelon plants. You could have planted the seeds in something of a hill but doing the opposite, planting in something of a basin is a common melon-planting technique.
Steve
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austingardner
- Full Member
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:18 pm
- Location: Austin
Thanks Digits,
My top soil is presumeably deep, it seems to be mostly pecan tree mulch from unraked leaves and fallen branches and birds evidenced by the soil becoming dryer harder and less quality as you move from the tree. I'd say it's deep because even through lawn grass a shovel would go into it with one strong step.
Thanks Soil, I'm glad to know drounding will not be in the cards for the water mellon and corn seeds. Just to clarify I dug a 10ft by 10ft 12in. deep bed and shoveled all soil to it's boarders creating a pool that's 12in. deep with additional inches in height for the newly created wall. I dug it like this so I could further break up the soil and planted the seeds without "back filling" the bed.
I'm also glad to hear that weeds, chopped roots, and other organic matter is ok to mix with the soil. I didn't want to create weed growth but risked it anyway. I will move the soil into a pile away from the bed and also mix it with leaves and compost and water it.
I am so glad to know I didn't work so hard just to dig a watery grave for my brand new patch.
Now my only concern is the birds seems to spend a lot of time there and it's making me nervous. I'm hoping they're just eating freshly exposed worms even though I am thinking about buying and adding worms to benefit the soil. I'm hoping the shallowly planted seeds will not be affected because of they're fragility against the wind and birds.
My top soil is presumeably deep, it seems to be mostly pecan tree mulch from unraked leaves and fallen branches and birds evidenced by the soil becoming dryer harder and less quality as you move from the tree. I'd say it's deep because even through lawn grass a shovel would go into it with one strong step.
Thanks Soil, I'm glad to know drounding will not be in the cards for the water mellon and corn seeds. Just to clarify I dug a 10ft by 10ft 12in. deep bed and shoveled all soil to it's boarders creating a pool that's 12in. deep with additional inches in height for the newly created wall. I dug it like this so I could further break up the soil and planted the seeds without "back filling" the bed.
I'm also glad to hear that weeds, chopped roots, and other organic matter is ok to mix with the soil. I didn't want to create weed growth but risked it anyway. I will move the soil into a pile away from the bed and also mix it with leaves and compost and water it.
I am so glad to know I didn't work so hard just to dig a watery grave for my brand new patch.
Now my only concern is the birds seems to spend a lot of time there and it's making me nervous. I'm hoping they're just eating freshly exposed worms even though I am thinking about buying and adding worms to benefit the soil. I'm hoping the shallowly planted seeds will not be affected because of they're fragility against the wind and birds.