Amending a garden

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SungoldTom Redding, CA Mar 13, 2009

I plant a veggie garden every year in six raised beds, 10 ft X 4 ft. I live in Redding, CA which is in No. CA inland and hot summers. Two years ago, I purchased soil made at a garden center and was told that after one year I would need to amend the soil prior to planting. I used an organic chicken manure last year.
Typically I plant tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapeņo and bell peppers, Swiss chard, spinach, kale, eggplant, and more.
Can someone please tell me if the chicken manure is the only thing I should use or if there is a better route to go? I also fertilize my plantings with an organic veggie fertilizer at planting and every few weeks after that. Thanks

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Stephen_Albert Kenwood, CA Mar 14, 2009

The crops you listed are generally heavy feeders. Renewing the nutrients in the soil is always a good idea. Chicken manure can be very high in nitrogen and if not aged or well mixed into the soil may burn your plants (high in salts). A safer route: add aged compost or steer manure to the bed in fall and add aged compost to the bed in spring and as a side dressing during the growing seaon. Add a half inch or so twice a year. You can also side dress your heavy feeding plants with compost or manure tea every 3 weeks during the growing seaon. The aged compost and aged steer manure will add texture to your soil while adding the full complement of nutrients.

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Hastur Houston, TX Mar 14, 2009

For my bed, I alternate layers of shredded cardboard and newspaper, manure, hay, leaves, and then a little potting mix on top for whatever I'm planting to get a start in. I started out with hay bales, though, so I think I started with some pretty good stuff to begin with.

The more I learn, the more I realize that soil will come about if I just keep adding stuff in there for it to rot down.

You can also use Companion planting and crop rotation to keep your soil happy. There is a ton of information about companion planting that you might find useful, all over the Organic Gardening forum. I've done a few companions and can honestly say that it helps a lot.

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