I am not exactly sure how to prepare my soil for planting. I did a deep dive on dirt and found it to be expensive and not that great to buy bags from the big box stores. I rent so I don't wanna go overboard but want safe high quality dirt at the same time. I could make my own mix and mix it into the existing soil. Buy a couple bags and mix them in. Leave it alone and just add compost and a little soil from elsewhere is the yard. I am not sure what to do anyone have any advice? I don't think its gonna be fast enough or worth it to do a soil test here.
Do these count as raised beds? They aren't very tall and use existing soil. First Year gardener have a few questions.
- Thread starter ZUnit22
- Start date
Looks like a raised bed to me. If there were plenty of things growing in that soil to start with, it should be ok to skip a soil test. Nitrogen is the main contender since it is usually on the low side. The pH may also be of concern. It also looks like it is pretty shady in that area. That may be a problem if your vegetables dont get enough sun.
You can get one of those cheap pH meters. You have to let it rain on the soil then check it when the soil is damp for it to be halfway accurate. Dont water it yourself and then check it.
Compost would be a great addition to the soil. You may get a better deal on a scoop at a place that sells mulch, rocks, topsoil, etc.
You can get one of those cheap pH meters. You have to let it rain on the soil then check it when the soil is damp for it to be halfway accurate. Dont water it yourself and then check it.
Compost would be a great addition to the soil. You may get a better deal on a scoop at a place that sells mulch, rocks, topsoil, etc.
It's raised beds.
Take a look at Charles Dowding on youtube for the low down on making raised beds.
I'd have thought even a couple of inches of compost on the top would be enough for most veg. If you were making a raised bed from scratch all you'd need to do is put down a sheet of cardboard (to kill off weeds) and pile a few inches of compost on top. I've done it umpteen times and it works a treat.
As you already have some soil in your raised beds I'd have thought 2 inches of compost on top would be all that's needed.
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2020
- Messages
- 562
- Reaction score
- 349
- Location
- Western Michigan
- Hardiness Zone
- 6B
- Country
Yup, raised bed there, just not raised too high.
There are professional market gardeners that really perfected the raised beds and theirs are just 6 inch high mounds with walk ways in the middle, no side walls.
Anyway, you're renting and want to stay cheap. What do you have for tools? Do you have or can you borrow a digging fork for a day / weekend? A digging fork has 4 heavy square tines about 8" long and usually only has a short D handle on it. This is an example.
Cheap and easy way to do a garden here:
Mulch is like a nice cozy blanket for the garden. It helps with so much:
There are professional market gardeners that really perfected the raised beds and theirs are just 6 inch high mounds with walk ways in the middle, no side walls.
Anyway, you're renting and want to stay cheap. What do you have for tools? Do you have or can you borrow a digging fork for a day / weekend? A digging fork has 4 heavy square tines about 8" long and usually only has a short D handle on it. This is an example.
Cheap and easy way to do a garden here:
- Sprinkle on a granulated general fertilizer. Maybe look for a weaker set of N-P-K numbers.
- Take that digging fork and use it to breakup the ground. (see below).
- Cover the whole bed with 2 or so inches of natural mulch.
Mulch is like a nice cozy blanket for the garden. It helps with so much:
- Reducing weeds and making the weeds that do popup much easier to pull and remove.
- Hold water in to the bed during the hot summer.
- Protect the soil from heavy rain impacts.
- Reduces the splash up of soil and mud onto your veggies.
Someone put some effort into building that. My guess is they probably put some effort into the soil as well.
It is shaded so picking crops that like cooler shaded areas will be best. I'd look at root vegetables as they'll help break up the soil. Spinach and lettuce might work as well.
It is shaded so picking crops that like cooler shaded areas will be best. I'd look at root vegetables as they'll help break up the soil. Spinach and lettuce might work as well.
Forget the soil test. Just plant, and you will know how well they do. From your photos I see many small seedlings - weeds or not - the conditions are there for germination.
