Garden Soil

[Froghunter]

Did a water test of my Garden Soil and I have sandy soil. I am also sending a soil sample of plot #4 to the County extension service to get the low down on my soil with a soil test. I'm planning to grow some cole crop in the fall. This November I will like to rototiller in alot of leafs into the soil. If I till the leafs into the soil in November will the plots be ready to plant in the spring or sure I wait a year?





Thanks!

Bill

[DanR]

Between now and November compost all that stuff and till it in. Add the things recommended on the soil test. In the spring you're good to go.

[BigMatt]

I don't think you can go wrong putting organic matter in your soil. There are two things to watch for though.

1) Make sure you are not making your soil acidic. I would add all of the organic stuff this year, let it sit and get your soil test in the spring.

2) Make sure whatever you are adding isn't adding weed seeds.

Other than that, you should be good to go.

-Matt

[Froghunter]

Right now the only thing I have to till into soil is fresh wood chips. In the fall I have a friend that cleans a cemetery of the fallen leafs. The cemetery produces a lot of leafs and he collects them in his Grasshopper mower and then dumps them. It would not be to much work to have him dump them on a flat bed trailer to be transported to the garden plots for tilling into the soil. After I have the garden packed with leafs I could start/stock the compose pile with them for the garden plantings. The soil sample for the plot is ready to go and will be dropped off at the County Extension Service tomorrow or the next day.

[Buzzard Wing]

if you can get grass clippings, you could have a great compost pile going.... just a thought, green stuff mixed with leafs will heat up just nice and work pretty quickly. When you have hot compost it will kill the weed seeds.... just not tomato seeds.

[ScottyD'sdad]

Right now the only thing I have to till into soil is fresh wood chips. In the fall I have a friend that cleans a cemetery of the fallen leafs. The cemetery produces a lot of leafs and he collects them in his Grasshopper mower and then dumps them. It would not be to much work to have him dump them on a flat bed trailer to be transported to the garden plots for tilling into the soil. After I have the garden packed with leafs I could start/stock the compose pile with them for the garden plantings. The soil sample for the plot is ready to go and will be dropped off at the County Extension Service tomorrow or the next day.

I wouldn't till in fresh wood chips They will tie up all the nitrogen, in the breaking down process. Compost them, with grass clippings, before use, I'd till the leaves in, in the fall, and they will be decayed, by spring. Mulch the crops with grass clippings, if you can get enough. They break down rapidly, and add organic matter. Ed

[Eugene]

Clay soil. Rained almost every day up until about a week ago. Now soil is of a brick like consistancy. Rear tined tiller has a hard time breaking it up.

Have a container with sealed lid. Put vegetable waste from the kitchen in the container then add to the garden.

As soon as the fall vegetables are out - going to sow winter rye. Next spring, mow, then plow under with the Cub.

Edit: Farmers are currently making hay. You may be able to pickup 1 or 2 year old bales for little or nothing - just hauling them off.

[DirtDoc]

I agree that the leaves will tie up nitrogen and decompose rather slowly. It will also drop your PH some, but applied in the fall the PH will rebound by spring. You might consider adding some nitrogen on the leaves before you plow them under. It will feed the microbes which in turn will break down the leaves quicker. Personally I would not add wood chips until it is decomposed. Another thing to remember is if your soil test indicates lime is needed to correct a deficiency, add it in the fall, it takes about 6 months to actually do some good. Good luck...Greg