Beginner Gardening: Amending a new garden bed, 1 by HoneybeeNC

HoneybeeNC wrote:
Vaugh - you and I seem to be in the same planting zone - Hi, neighbor!

If you have heavy red clay, like I do, I would not advise you to dig into it. I know this seems strange, but doing so could cause what I call the "bath tub effect" - water will collect at the lowest level where you have dug, and your plants' roots will rot!

Instead, put in raised beds. I've found using 10" or 12" plain pine boards work best. They will last about six years before needing replacing.

To fill your beds, use whatever you can afford. My first year (five seasons ago) I started with bagged stuff I purchased at Lowes. Equal amounts of garden soil, peat moss, mushroom compost, and Black Cow manure.

Since then, I've encouraged earthworms to move in by spreading fall leaves between the beds. Each spring and fall, I add their castings to the beds along with whatever compost we have made. I have also purchased coconut coir by mail from here:

http://wormsway.com/detail.aspx?t=prod&sku=SCCB305

If you have access to lots of fall leaves, these will make wonderful "free dirt". I run the mower through them several times until they are about the size of my little finger nail and then add this to the beds, too.

When sowing seeds or setting out transplants, I add organic fertilizer, greensand, dolomite lime, crab shell, and seabird guano to each planting row/hole.

Soak the row, or hole thoroughly with water, stir in the amendments, and sow/transplant. Once your plants are well established, and before they really take off, sprinkle a handful of your amendments around the drip line of each plant, or along the row on each side. I like to do this just before, or just after a good heavy rain shower. After that, I fertilze about every two weeks or so.

Happy Gardening!

Photo was taken of my garden July 2010