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Abbotsford, B.C

Ha ha, no this is not another post asking what each of your jobs is, etc. I am wondering what other people do to create that perfect soil environment around each of their seedlings when starting them. I think this might help me and others get ideas from other growers on how to improve how we make the nutrient pit or hill 'just so'. For example, I plan to gather manure, compost, and leaf mold, and mix it with some regular soil from the patch. I will then add dried chopped up seaweed and mix it in with the 9 to 16 cubit feet around where the seedling will be in each planting area. I will then use a soil testing kit to test the pH to see that it is just right, and if not, will try to adjust. I will then put my soil heating cable about a foot and a half under the ground and then mound the soil up a foot above the ground around it for better drainage, quicker heating, etc. I could probably do even more to improve the soil, but I can't think what right now. So now, what do you do to improve your soil? All answers would be appreciated. Maybe even entice some heavy hitters to post on this post?


Cameron

4/9/2005 7:07:14 PM

Canada

Go to Grower Diarys and read threw Sweden-Gustavsson Diary
from -04-05 season.

I dont persionally do this myself but hey it works for him.

In the fall I had my soil test completed for the first time, I ended up double digging the entire patch roughly 2 ft down, Then adding a load of Goat/Sheep manure, then sulfate of Potash, granular lime, re tilled then added 3 large bags of peatmoss,a hudge pile of leafs mulched tilled again then finished it off with a light covering of Jersey greensand a spray of mollases then planted some winter oats. Spring time i re tilled the patch ( nice dark rich soil this year :-) )sent my soil sample in, layed some buckwheat seed sprayed down with mollases and am leaving alone till my results come in.

Dave

4/10/2005 9:16:23 AM

Oz

I used,,,cause that all i had,,cotton waste compost and
some clay/sand that was mixed with it.
They fought their way all the way up!

Now they are in vermiculite,hardwood charcoal,sand,black dirt,and33%cotton compost.good mix.

4/10/2005 9:36:33 AM