Getting the Garden Ready

[loops]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready

you don't really need chemical feritilzers for a perennial garden if you do the things i said above to amend your soil. manure and bone meal and compost are going to work just fine.

the mulch you bought...that's best for after you've planted. putting a light covering of mulch on your garden keeps the weeds down, and makes the ones that do grow easier to yank. it also holds moisture and makes the garden look nice.

[Nylah]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: loops</div><div class="ubbcode-body">you don't really need chemical feritilzers for a perennial garden if you do the things i said above to amend your soil. manure and bone meal and compost are going to work just fine.
</div></div>

Loops, how long do you need to wait before planting your bulbs in freshly fertilized soil? I always here people talking about fresh fertilizer burning the bulbs.

I have a tendancy to slap things in the ground and hope for the best! This year I'd like some method to my madness!

[loops]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready

the compost, manure and other things i mentioned...when bought in the store are ready to use...you don't have to wait. Most bulb packages recommend a small handful of compost in the planting hole.

I'd be very careful with chemical fertilizers around young plants...and also fresh from the farm manure isn't good to use either. If it's aged, very old, composted manure...you should be fine.

[Nylah]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready

Now that you mentioned the farm manure, I think that is what I was hearing about.

I usually go just outside town to the small farm/greenhouses to buy plants and they of course sell fresh manure.

With the limited gardening I have done, I have tried really hard to not use any chemical fertilizers etc. But with the organic products I havent figured out what does what best.

I bought some daylilie bulbs last week, so I will buy the store-bought manure like you suggested.

Wish me luck! Or rather send the luck to my plants.....

[Nanook]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready

for manure you don't want fresh you want rotted manure. Too fresh and it will burn the plants. Look for dark color and it should not smell like manure as much as dirt. If it is dry and crumbly that is good enough too but you won't want it if it resembles manure rather than dirt.

If you know where there is a chicken farm, that there manure is like gold!

[Nylah]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready

Thanks Nanook! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70409-waytogo.gif[/img]

[mspeach]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready


ok, i've been following along, I have the manure that's crumbling now I want to plant some annuals and some rose buds plus some others, but I have such a hectic schedule I wonder will the manure keep until the first week of April, I hope so.

[Green_Biscuit]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready

Manure should be age. Fresh manure is too "hot" to apply directly to garden beds without composting first (meaning beds you intend to plant immediately or very soon). It should be composted, or turned into a vacant bed and allowed to age. It can burn plants, and tie up the nitrogen for a good while. Take time. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[ILP]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready

smaddy said mi should turn my soil before planting any flowers. Is that true? How much work is that going to be?

[Green_Biscuit]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready

Yes, it is probably true, ILP, that it is better. What was there before? Nothing? Grass? Turning it over will accomplish a few things, and is an excellent opportunity to amend, too.


Hhhhhmmmm. Okay, maybe I should start a new thread on soil and soil prep? Okay, tomorrow.

[ILP]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready

the people we bought this house from planted some greenery. dont know the type, but it has long since died. nothing remains in the area except the dirt.

[Green_Biscuit]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready

ILP, is this the area bordering your house? You mean there are no weeds or anything? How long has it been sitting like that? There could be a few problems, the first that comes to mind is that your topsoil was disturbed (new construction, spetic system installation, etc) and not replaced properly, and what you have on top there is subsoil, which is not good. Can you give some more detail, and (yes, I will ask again) photos?

[ILP]

Re: Getting the Garden Ready

GB.
There are some weeds. but what I see is mostly mulch. I saw some flowers on one of the bushes during the fall, but that was it.

i gave di current mr ilp the pictures as an assignment for the weekend. hopefully, he will get them and post them (mi nuh know how fi post pictras) [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70394-bawlout.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70361-embarassed.gif[/img]