Different soil in the garden

[DogDiesel]

Do any of you go as far as having different soil mixes for different plants in the garden. ?

Diesel.

[The Cook]

If you are talking about annual vegetables probably not worth it. You need to practice crop rotation and I don't know how you would do that with specific soils in each area. But yes if you are prepping for long term plants like asparagus or rhubarb.

[Baz]

"DogDiesel" wrote in news:ihj55b$ovt$ [e-mail]:

Yes, For example people usually add manure/compost when planting potatoes, add lime for bressicas etc. Or have I got the question wrong? I often do.

Baz

[DogDiesel]

Its all good, that's what I meant.

[Baz]

"DogDiesel" wrote in news:ihjtgm$vfo$ [e-mail]:

Diesel, nice I got it right, What are you going to grow this year? I'm no expert but there are loads here who know what to add and what not to. You could Google for answers but in my experience you will get lots of duff advice from a few sites and then distrust everything you read! I know you are not a rookie but you should, if you do not already, compost everything you can, and take the time to look after it so that it will be useful when it all rots down. Kitchen waste(not meat or anything cooked), garden foliage including lawn mowings, leaves, cardboard, paper, cut flowers, fruit you forgot to eat, veg in the fridge you let go soft and so on are perfect. Not many people have chickens yet(give it a couple of years and they will) but their droppings are very good for the compost heap. DO NOT USE CAT OR DOG MUCK or any other meat eating animals muck. Yuk. Apparently and of course they contain microbes harmful to some human organs, mostly the eyes and liver. I hope this has been helpful to you

Baz

[Nad R]

For the vegetable gardens in raised beds and on the ground, I tend to have a light looser soil that is at least a foot deep. For trees and shrubs I tend to use the soil that is already there, mostly clay, but I do drill holes at the drip line of the trees and shrubs for water and some fertilizers. For containers that are outside I tend to use potting soil. Soil that is near the base of my home is sandy for drainage.

Compost goes on everything except grass. I rob Peter ( grass clippings ) to pay Paul the vegetable garden. Flower cuttings, kitchen scraps, Straw and chicken poop goes in the compost as well. My lawn is not the best looking in the world but slowly getting better. The veggies are tasty thou.

[Baz]

Nad R wrote in news:ihk8d8$1ct$ [e-mail]:

You seem to have it all sorted, Nad. Wish I had.

How did you start out? I mean from the start, from your idea to where you are now.

Baz

[Nad R]

One note compost is good for the grass as well. Like I said I rob Peter to Pay Paul.

I was born and raised in the city and hated everyone. I had a scientific mind surrounded by ultra conservative Christian types. I moved to the country 15 years ago and love it! My mind is at rest, no neighbors, few problems, no hate. Sorta like the show green acres.

My first attempts at gardening were a disaster. Nothing grew well and I wanted a nice looking yard and Garden. At first I went to the books, they were very helpful, but books are too generalized. I took what I thought was best. Also here and there Internet was useful. Then after time I learned about the Master Gardener Volunteer program that is offered in many states. The Master Gardener program is an excellent way for the beginner to average gardener to greatly advance their skills. The ten week class cost me about $250 US and 40 additional hours of volunteer time in the community. The class came with an excellent set of books that was specific to my area in which I live in.

To find such a program Google, " Master Gardener Volunteer Program " with your state and see what comes up.

I do not have all my act together. In My book, gardening is mostly art with a little of science thrown in. Those with university degrees in Horticulture or Agriculture are far far more advanced than I am. My yard is not a picture perfect yard like in Martha Stewart or garden Magazines. I do not have fancy brick paved paths or perfectly manicured shrubs. Mine is more functional than beautiful. It took years to get where I am at. Money is also tight, so I only add a little here and little there over the years. Nothing went in all at once.

[Billy]

Adding manure directly before planting can increase risk of disease, such as common scab (Streptomyces scabie) in potato. Consider carefully manure effects and disease potential before incorporating manure in the spring. Composted manure will generally be much safer and reduce disease risk.

[Baz]

Nad R wrote in news:ihkffm$nc2$ [e-mail]:

OH............

[David Hare-Scott]

Yes. For shrubs and perenials I will vary the amount of amendments to suit the plant. So I have areas that are limed more heavily because the plants like the pH higher, I have some things in tubs of sandy soil becasue they wouldn't survive the drainage difficulties in my clay-based soil. For annuals I fertilise gross feeders (eg corn) much more heavily than others.

David

[DogDiesel]

Thanks Billy. What timing. I was just thinking of adding manure from Tractor supply. I was going to dump it in the snow. For Spring. If you put a lot of it in the composter bin. Will it make composting stop. Will it Burn it or something.

Diesel.

[Nad R]

Manure from the stores are typically sterilized. If so, it can be used immediately in the garden. Most bags of compost/manure sold in stores are mostly sterilized animal manure. Plant compost is the GOLD that most gardeners want and is the best and not typically sold in stores, got to make your own. Look on the bag for NPK amount it is usually around .5 for each of the NPK values.

However, fresh animal manures need time in the sun to dry before using in the compost piles or directly in the garden. Not a good thing to put down fresh animal manure 90 days before planting, 180 days before harvest. I would not put down fresh animal manure on wet ground or snow. Putting fresh animal manure on wet areas may cause liquifying of the manure and cause contamination of local well and water systems.

But if your buying your compost at a store it is probably sterilized and safe to use as you wish.

[Billy]

To be on the safe side follow Dan's (Nad's) advice, which I'm sure was meant to be "put down fresh animal manure 90 days before planting, 180 days before harvest." Cornell agrees as well

I was sure that I had a reference to using fresh fertilizer with plants (Fran and David apparently do), but I can't seem to find it. IIRC the trick was not to splash water, which would transport the pathogens, onto the edible parts of the plant in question. Such is my memory, but I would follow the above advice until such time as there is a more definitive answer.

Fran (FarmI) and I had a chin wag about this once and she came up with

It says of fresh vs rotted/aged manure that: i) in the composting process, manure can lose up to half it's moisture content and thus concentrate nutrients ii) nitrogen in composted manure is fixed whereas in fresh, it's soluble iii) solubility of P and K is greater in composted manure and on P.125 it says that 'when manure is added directly to the soil, it generally releases highly soluble nitrates that behave similarly to chemical fertilisers, as well as ammonia, which can burn plant roots and interfere with seed germination.'

Just so's you know, it is done both ways, but prudence must be used.

Adding manure to a garden in the winter where there is a good chance of run-off, can lead to pollution of ground water, navigable waters, and wells.

[DogDiesel]

Awesome stuff.

I appreciate the environmental input. However , Here. The water is if there were wells, is not drinkable. And the ground and river are highly contaminated by a steel plant, and farming runoff. I know for a fact I have some type of steel plant slag under my soil two feet down from a flood around1916. And theres kish from the plant that lands from the air . Although their blast furnaces have been off for about two years. Over a hundred plus years theres stuff in the soil. This is why I originally dug

18 inches out and filled in with horse manure 2 decades ago.

So, Im going to stick with my compost , and get a bunch of peat and sand to mix in and use fish fertilizer again. There really isnt a problem. I was just thinking of doing a general soil boost .

[Billy]

"There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments." - Janet Kilburn Phillips

[Tonythegardener]

I have been putting fresh animal manure on my allotment garden for thirty years and have never had 'burnt roots'. What have I been doing wrong?

[Nad R]

Animal Manure can contain pathogens that can make humans very sick or die. The above statements was more about foods sources. Most plants will not absorb those pathogens from the roots. However, if any manures get on the food to be harvested then you and others will be at a much much higher risk of getting very sick. If fresh manure is near the harvest plants hard rain, stray animals, hands, feet scattering the soil, improper washing... Look out. Animal manures need time to dry out before putting in the garden at least 180 days before harvest and 90 days before planting to be safe... Or safer. It is not about burned roots as more about human health.

Thirty years.... Count yourself lucky!