Preparing Soil in New Garden Plot

16 years ago

I bought a house last winter and am putting in a vegetable garden for the first time in a place that previously just had grass. I'm planning to plant a wide variety, from lettuce to peas to tomatoes to artichokes. I dug up the plot where I'm going to plant and was happy with the soil--sandy/loamy, lots of worms, few bad bugs/rocks, etc.

I did a soil test. The PH was 6.3. It had sufficient K and P. It had almost no Nitrogen.

So now I am looking at what fertilizers/organic matter/what have you to put into the ground. I bought some nitrogen-rich fertilizer (something Blood) that breaks down to 16-2-3. If I add this to the soil, is that enough to plant? Do I need to add, say, manure or compost? I am really confused since I've never started a garden plot from scratch before. Any help you can give me would be much appreciated.

~ Joy

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Comments (4)

digdirt2
16 years ago
Hi Joy - Was this a home soil test kit or a professional test? The home tests are notoriously inaccurate (many discussions here about them) and adding certain amendments based on them is not recommended - it can cause you more problems than you may already have. Also keep in mind that soil N will only register when soil temps are above 50-55 degrees.

That said, the only way to truly know the condition of your soil is to have a professional soil test done and your local county ag extension office will do one for you - usual cost is about $10-15 and includes many more info points than any home kit will.

The other approach, taken by many, is just to work in a good amount of compost and/or composted manure - it can't hurt and is bound to help so is a "no-lose" approach. ;) Then plant, see how things go, and add additional improvements as you go along. I'm not saying this is necessarily the best approach, just that it's your choice to do either. Knowing the name of the fertilizer you purchased would help - if it's Blood Meal then it is possible to burn young transplants with it.

Over on the Soil, Compost & Mulch forum here at GW you'll find many discussions on how to amend new beds that you might want to review for more tips.

Hope this helps and enjoy your garden.

Dave

PS: You'll also find several recent discussions here on how to start a first garden, I have linked several of them below for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: First garden discussions
granite
16 years ago
I second Dave's advice; you can't go wrong with compost and an ag extension soil test is the accurate way to go. If you've never had a garden in your current growing zone, its a good idea to get in touch with your ag extension agent for info on frost dates, planting dates, etc. Sounds like you've got a nice soil texture to start with, lucky girl. Its all red clay here YIKES!!
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rootdoctor
16 years ago
Blood meal tends to burn up really fast. If you have lots of organic matter in your chosen spot, the blood meal will actually "compost" with the matter. Good luck with whatever you choose.
fishstyk
16 years ago
compost baby!...be wary the bermuda grass. are you in zone 9? it is dormant rite now here but will come up with a vengeance if not properly dealt with (bermuda grass also a very popular forum i.e. inaccurate ph tests...) well balanced compost usually takes the edge off any soil deviations. i like steer manure compost personally because it doesn't smell too bad. that is all you would need to add really. i highly highly recommend only biting off what you can chew...if you are growing peas or tomatoes grow them properly (spacing, water, sunlight and compost) do not spread yourself too thin.
you might want to try FRAMED RAISED BEDS. start out with one or two and do em right. for example only two tomato plants would be sufficient to fill that entire bed up. you might be able to sneak in peas, basil, green onions, lettuce etc...on the sides before tomatoes get too big but the raised beds will provide for years and years. i recommend a 3' x 6' bed with 6" high sides of untreated wood (redwood fence size) or use logs from a tree u cut down, grape posts etc....good luck! ps i usually would put about 6 cubic feet of compost mixed with native soil per raised bed and an automatic watering system with drip lines goes a long way for a busy lifestyle...

Preparing Soil in New Garden Plot

Comments (4)

digdirt2

granite

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