soil
a friend of mine gave me some compost and some topsoil I mixed it up and put it in my vegetable bed it was wet when she gave it to me this was back in the spring time well anyway it sat there all spring and summer and got real hard well I tride to losen it up with some water and the water just made it worse what can I add to the topsoil and compost to make it more better so I can grow vegetables
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30541
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
It sounds like this compost and topsoil had somewhat high clay content.
One thing you could do is to cover the moistened bed with flattened wetted down cardboard and grass clippings for a week or two. This will create a condition that will help the hardened soil break down better. In my garden, doing this would bring earthworms "running" to have a party under the cardboard, followed closely by moles, and pretty soon the soil would be all tunneled and dug through.
If hardened lumpy clay is the problem, it needs is organic matter. Do you have access to any area where leafpile remains all year or a woodpile? In my yard, I have such an area by the back fence where all the trees from the woods behind the fence drops leaves and the wind piles them up along the fence. In another part of the yard, I pile up windfalls and cut wood and branches. This provides shelter for birds and wildlife. And I move the wood, extending the pile one way one year, the other way next year.
So by moving aside the leaves or the wood pile, I have access to really nice decomposed duff where the earthworms are constantly working. This is the best stuff -- already full of microorganisms, decomposing fungi, and earthworms. I don't take too much of it -- just a shovelful here and there, and always cover the area back up.
If you want to buy a bagged / purchased material, you could get mushroom compost, compressed coir brick which when moistened with water turns into nice fluffy medium... Or (not my personal choice but) sphagnum peat moss or Canadian peat.
One thing you could do is to cover the moistened bed with flattened wetted down cardboard and grass clippings for a week or two. This will create a condition that will help the hardened soil break down better. In my garden, doing this would bring earthworms "running" to have a party under the cardboard, followed closely by moles, and pretty soon the soil would be all tunneled and dug through.
If hardened lumpy clay is the problem, it needs is organic matter. Do you have access to any area where leafpile remains all year or a woodpile? In my yard, I have such an area by the back fence where all the trees from the woods behind the fence drops leaves and the wind piles them up along the fence. In another part of the yard, I pile up windfalls and cut wood and branches. This provides shelter for birds and wildlife. And I move the wood, extending the pile one way one year, the other way next year.
So by moving aside the leaves or the wood pile, I have access to really nice decomposed duff where the earthworms are constantly working. This is the best stuff -- already full of microorganisms, decomposing fungi, and earthworms. I don't take too much of it -- just a shovelful here and there, and always cover the area back up.
If you want to buy a bagged / purchased material, you could get mushroom compost, compressed coir brick which when moistened with water turns into nice fluffy medium... Or (not my personal choice but) sphagnum peat moss or Canadian peat.
Agreed a bit on the clay side. What I do when I encounter this situation.........
I have had a few bags of top soil that are way too much clay and heavy. If not in ground or pots yet, mix with organic matter. I like Natures Helper,( HDepot and other sources), cotton burr (not cotton seed) and Black Kow (Lowes and other sources) Kow is poo plus sand. If already in ground or pot just mix in and break up existing mess.
Clay in itself is good, and as it breaks down provides minerals and nutrients. Just when dense is difficult and needs to be broken up.
I have had a few bags of top soil that are way too much clay and heavy. If not in ground or pots yet, mix with organic matter. I like Natures Helper,( HDepot and other sources), cotton burr (not cotton seed) and Black Kow (Lowes and other sources) Kow is poo plus sand. If already in ground or pot just mix in and break up existing mess.
Clay in itself is good, and as it breaks down provides minerals and nutrients. Just when dense is difficult and needs to be broken up.
-
lexusnexus
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 358
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 4:06 pm
- Location: MD Suburbs of DC, 7a
Yep on the compost. What I do at my home garden (and our demo garden) is mix some compost in with the garden soil (amount of compost will depend on texture and consistency of garden soil) then plant. After planting is done I top dress with a few inches of compost. This helps with drainage and texture. The seeds will easily grow through it and the compost will work its way into the soil naturally. My garden was lawn last year so I tilled in a few cubic yards of compost this spring (after the sod was removed). This fall I will be top dressing the whole garden with a few cubic yards of compost to over-winter. I will not be tilling it in next spring as I want to maintain the integrity of the soil structure. This is just my method. Others have offered great advice so I recommend you read those as well and determine what makes the most sense for you.