Compost/bed preparation rate

[Snooze]

Hello

I have a flower bed along side my driveway. It is about 1.5ft x 15 ft, (approximately 22 sqft). This particular flower bed has fairly poor soil, earlier this winter, I mixed in about 2.5 cuft of composted steer manure, about 3 cups of blood meal, and about 2 cups of bone meal to a depth of about 6 inches.

Historically this flower bed has been fairly void of earthworms, possibly due to heavy exposure to direct sun, low mulch and probably minimal organic material in the soil. I am trying to move away from having to use synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides as much as possible.

My plan is to add another 2cuft of composted steer manure as top dressing before the planting season begins, and then starting next year just apply 1 cubic foot of compost and some bone & blood meal at the beginning of spring.

Does this sound like a sustainable plan? Or do I need to add something else? I have considered Osmocote, but that's just a time release synthetic fertilizer.

Snooze

[cat daddy]

I think that sounds like a great plan. For years, I worked my high PH, no organic matter beds with a thin layer of compost, various sacks of meal, peat moss, and Miracle Gro.......... Mostly bulbs, some things did okay and some struggled. I couldn't water enough. Two years ago, I went totally organic and just layered lots of compost, shredded leaves in the fall, occasional compost tea, and no working the soil. I now have massive amounts of earthworms, watering is cut down a lot, the bulbs are flourishing to the point of overcrowding and I don't labour at it or spend any money.

[Phisherman]

The compost will do the most good at this point. If you can till it in, all the better. The composted manure is excellent. I have found a combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers give the best results. Worms like rotted leaves, although I realize that rotted leaves is sometimes hard to get.

[Tom Randy]

Snip

Sure, every fall though work in more plus chopped up leaves. That's what I do, I have a 3 foot X 24 foot bed on the south side of my house. Mostly shade though. I even work in some perlite for drainage.