Soil :)

[blue skys]

So I have had terrible anxiety over my dirt. My garden did rather poorley this year, and I have decided not to do a fall garden, instead I am going to get the soil a little better prepared for next year.

I had a soil analysis completed by my state, and it was very straight forward, although, I don't have it in front of me to share.

I got some baby chicks that will eventually live in the garden area until about January, when they will be turned into dinner. I'm putting them there to help add some nitrogen, which is greatly lacking, eat the tons of bugs that are in there, and help kill the grass and weeds.

Once they are no longer living there I will turning the soil by hand with a shovel, I'll probably place some cardboard on top afterwards to keep any seeds that I expose from germinating, and then closer to planting time, removing the cardboard, turning the soil again, and planting.

Does this sound like a decent plan. I'm new at gardening and have limited resources with which to fertilize and things like that. I have compost that I have tried to destroy a number of times, but it's coming along, slowley but surely. I've tried to get manure to no availe (no one wants to give me there poop ).

If y'all have any tips, please feel free to share them.

 

[Greensage45]

So you do have something of sorts of a compost pile?

Do you have any trees? You can pile up the leaves and use the cardboard to hold that down and by Spring that can be turned into the garden.

Do you have kitchen scraps? Toss those all into a tub or container ( I use my empty coffee containers. ) Put eggshells in there, put veggie scraps, put coffee grounds. I even put my own hair from my hair brush into the compost) Yeah, from the tub it goes outside, never the tub for long!

Texas is pretty big, where in Texas are you?

Oh yeah, and there is a post in here somewhere about peeing in your garden. I dare to say it might have to be discussed again! LOL

:rose

OK, well, here is too a healthy soil!

Ron ... now don't that rose look like he needs to go? LOL

 

[DrakeMaiden]

My first tip is to call it soil instead of dirt. I was scolded for this when I worked in a nursery. I have to say, though, it is true . . . if you respect it, it is "soil."

Figure out what minerals your soil is lacking and try to ammend for that. Where I live magnesium and calcium are limiting to plant health and growth, so lime is needed. I don't know about your area. The university extension agents in your area should know and be able to advise you.

As Greensage mentions, composting is a great cheap way to help out your soil.

There is also a good article on Mother Earth News about making your own organic fertilizer.

Have you tried calling horse boarding facilities in your area? My bet is you might find one that wants to get rid of their manure.

ETA: Your plan with the chickens sounds good. Another way to add nitrogen is with coffee grounds. As far as weeds go . . . I personally would let them sprout before working the soil for the last time before planting, as it will eliminate that many more of the seeds.

 

[blue skys]

Great Ideas guys, thanks!

I compost all kitchen scraps that aren't meat or dairy - and what the chickens don't eat. I also shred junk mail to even out the green brown ratio.

I live in central/north central texas and have clay (I normally call it soil unless I'm dissapointed in it, like right now).

I guess I'm just being impatient and want it to be great soil right now instead of in five years.

I have tried calling around to barns, but really, no one will return my call, I guess they want to keep all their poop to themselves.

That's a good idea about letting the weeds sprout a little before I turn it over the last time. Thanks!!

And that flower does look like it's doing the pee pee dance
:rose

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Cute, blueskys! I like your title now.

I understand. It takes time to build the soil. There are no two ways about it. Hang in there! It will all come together. And when it does you will be very proud of what you have created.

If you have clay, then you definitely need to be adding compost. I have heard that for clay a great ammendment is used hops. Maybe you could call any local breweries (micro breweries) in your area and see if they will deliver their spent hops? I think for you, it would possibly be even better than adding manure. Might be worth looking in to.

If you have clay, you probably have lots of nutrients in your soil, which is a plus. You probably mostly need to focus on keeping it lightened up with organic material.

These are my opinions, based on things I have read, not practical experience with clay soils or any knowledge of your area. The more information you can find specific to your area, the better off you will be.

 

[journey11]

I've done something similar in preparation for my next years (much bigger!) strawberry patch. I had my spring batch of 35 Cornish rocks stationed over my intended site and once they were gone I had lots of manure, spent hay, and wood chips to boost my soil.

In order to keep their living quarters clean, I continually added spent hay and wood chips as the manure accumulated, as it quickly will with Cornish X. They also do a great job of annihilating all grass and weeds, even stubborn grass like crab grass.

So after they were done, I tilled the soil to work everything in. Then I covered it w/ black plastic for a couple weeks during the summer to help it "cook".

I let it sit awhile and now I am preparing to plant a cover crop (winter wheat). Come April, I will be ready to go!

Your plan sounds great. Only thing I would do differently would be to do a cover crop for winter instead of the cardboard, then when things start to heat up in the spring solarize your soil by covering with plastic (clear is better I think) to kill weed and grass seeds.

I can't imagine why no one will give you any manure? Around here people beg me to come and get it out of their way! I've got 2 farmers already lined up for next spring and my own horse's output as well. Most people want it gone for sanitary reasons for their herd's health. If there is enough farming activity in your area, just keep asking around. It often comes down to just being in the right place at the right time. If not, then I recommend you get more chickens. LOL.

I am compost crazy. I compost EVERYTHING!!

ETA: If you can get your hands on enough manure, you can even compost your chicken offal -- feathers, feet, blood and all. Layer it out with your greens and browns and lots of manure and cover it deep (it will not stink if it's deep enough, like a foot or more). You will have nothing recognizable left except bones after about 3 months. No kidding, I compost EVERYTHING. Ha.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Yes a cover crop is a great way to keep the weeds down! Our cover crop planting season is wrapping up, so I didn't even think about it . . . but I guess you could plant one in winter where you live. This is why it is so important to get advice from people who know your area.

 

[Greensage45]

OMG,

I can so relate. Central Texas clay ...ughh. I used to live in Dallas and it was horrible.

Seems the clay out there eats anything organic and turns itself back into its original state within a year. How does it do that?

The best bet for you is to use heavy layers of mulch, always mulch mulch mulch. This will begin to break up over time and beneath it will begin your layer of 'growing medium'. I would turn shallow for shallow rooting plants. This makes your plants anchor to the rich stuff instead of getting clogged up in the clay.

Over time as you continue to add inches upon inches of mulch you can find each year you can turn this down deeper and deeper. If you find yourself tapping into the clay too much then back off a bit on your bed depth.

You might consider doing raised beds; either by wood or by cinderblock. This will let you build a better base to grow in.

Considering your soil and your region this may be why finding manure and such is hard to come by; it sounds like folks out that way need it more than not.

One suggestion I have is that most Municipalities have a Shredding/Mulching Unit at their City dumps. This gives folks and landscaping businesses a place to dump their clippings. You need to check with your nearby larger cities. This is typically a free material. If you can get it, break your back and go get some, they will not scoop it for you. Load it around every tree and every corner and every bed. Make thick layers of it and allow a year to go by... then either turn it, add to it, or take from it.

But what ever you do, don't let the leaves this Fall pass you by. Get the kids out there from yard to yard asking to rake for a minimal fee (leaf removal free of charge!, labor costs). This would be a great income for kids and an easy filling of 'stuffs' to turn into a treasure! :mow

:bun If you can meet one person with one rabbit, and they were not compost-type, then you would have made a valuable friendship; but, owning a rabbit is a wonderful experience and although another mouth to worry about, they sure do enrich the World around them! :bun

Keep us posted, or 'com' posted ....Oh, do you have a Craigslist nearest you?

Ron

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Keep us posted, or 'com' posted

Good one Ron!

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

blue skys, I am north central Texas close to Lake Whitney. If you have a truck and shovel I will share goat poo....

And yes, the soil in our area sucks. I battle it constantly.....