Viewing post #628212 by Weedwhacker

You are viewing a single post made by Weedwhacker in the thread called Soil for raised bed.
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May 31, 2014 10:07 PM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Definitely agree with Chelle, "keep it simple." For your first year, use some of your own soil, mix in some bagged garden soil and compost -- it won't be perfect the first year. Collect leaves, grass clippings, etc. for compost to add to your raised beds. Maybe use some grass clippings or straw for mulching your plants, which will then be incorporated into the soil over time. I don't use raised beds, but when I started my garden at my present location (over 20 years ago now, which is hard for me to comprehend) the soil was very heavy, every time it rained there was standing water in the garden, very few worms, and so on. Over those 20 years we have not only added a LOT of organic material (we bag our grass clippings and use for mulch, use the excess and other stuff for a compost pile) and also added quite a bit of sand to our soil (not a recommended practice, but it worked for us), as well as removing what must have been at least a ton of rocks (thanks to the ice age glaciers) and now have some pretty darned good soil going. Don't worry, it won't necessarily take you 20 years -- but really, you can grow a pretty good garden in whatever soil you have to work with. For instance, when planting tomatoes you can add some "good soil" or compost or whatever to the individual holes. Every year it will be better...

Don't forget to use some sort of fertilizer! Smiling
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~ Albert Schweitzer
C/F temp conversion

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