Soil Prep

[Victor]

The following three steps were listed to prep the soil and my questions are listed after these steps:

1. Remove grass or other existing vegetation with a flat spade or kill with a glyphosate herbicide such as Roundup.

2. Spread two or three inches of organic matter, well-rotted manure, leaf mold (composted leaves) or compost, over the bed.

3. Turn soil over to a depth of eight inches with a garden spade, fork or roto-tiller, breaking up heavy clods. Rake level.


Questions:

1. At what point do you introduce fertilizer in this process? Do you spread fertizer over the entire garden area or just around the bushes I'll be planting?

2. I'm buying some chemical to regulate the PH balance in my soil. At what point in the above process do you introduce this chemical?

3. How do you go about making a raised bed for better drainage? Do you just heap the compost on real thick to create a raised bed?

Thanks

[freedhardwoods]

I will start with questions. Do you have a rototiller, and if so what kind is it? If you don't, how are you going to turn the soil? How soon after turning the soil will you be planting? What type of "chemical" are you going to use to change the PH. Lime will raise the PH, and aluminum sulfate will lower it. Have you tested your soil to see if it even needs to be changed?

I started a new garden spot this year where there was previously well established grass. I used my Troybilt tiller to turn the grass under instead of removing it.

If you are intending to plant right away and you have synthetic fertilizer, you should work the fertilizer in when turning the soil. You should also add the product to change the PH (if it needs it) when turning the soil.

There are several ways to make a raised bed. I would just use a garden rake and pull the mixed soil up to make the beds.

[learningdaily]

OOPS...ignore that thumbs down! It was accidental!

I made raised beds by purchasing 2 x 12 lumber and nailing it together at the corners. From there, I added soil and compost, leveled it off and planted.

"Chemical" :eek: is a questionable word these days when one is talking to gardeners,so you may get some "what's up with that" responses. Most all the time, there are better organic methods that won't affect the purity of your food nor will they negatively affect the quality of your soil. Have you had your soil ph tested? If not, your county extension office can do it for you, and then they'll tell you what you need to add to it to balance it...if anything.

Good luck with your garden...hanging around gardening forums is a great place to ask questions, learn new information and improve your gardening success, so welcome aboard!