catjac1975
Garden Master
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2010
- Messages
- 9,019
- Reaction score
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- Points
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- Location
- Mattapoisett, Massachusetts
Competence is about your conditions. If you do the work, soil amending weeding watering etc. The plants will grow. 5 hour of sun is not enough. However, with good soil, etc. plant a little bit of a lot of things and see what will grow under such low light conditions. If you are willing to stick with it tree cutting is your best bet. Raised beds are excellent. As for you other beds, spend time on the soil before you wasted time then deem yourself incompetent. Compost, compost compost. We are big believers in using all plant materials, especially leaves. Manure from a local farmer can usually be gotten for free or delivered for a small fee.
You might try making plastic tunnels over the beds. I use them to plant crops early. My squash are bearing fruit while the neighbors are just putting out their seedlings.
The added heat for your low light beds may increase yield. I put a soaker hose in the tunnels to water without having to lift the tunnels.
But. all is a waste of time with out first building the soil. In new england adding lime is a must. An inexpensive soil test will give you a lot of info.
Greensand adds micronutrients to tired soil and only needs to be used every 5 years or so.
You might try making plastic tunnels over the beds. I use them to plant crops early. My squash are bearing fruit while the neighbors are just putting out their seedlings.
The added heat for your low light beds may increase yield. I put a soaker hose in the tunnels to water without having to lift the tunnels.
But. all is a waste of time with out first building the soil. In new england adding lime is a must. An inexpensive soil test will give you a lot of info.
Greensand adds micronutrients to tired soil and only needs to be used every 5 years or so.
