jhultman wrote in message news:1059412409.120754@sj-nntpcache-3...

This is the first time this ground had been set up as a bed. Previously is
sat covered with plastic and tan bark for ten + years. In preparing this 160
square ft. bed I started with
about 3 cubic yards of compost added and rototilled in. Put some lime in the
soil and tilled that in with the compost...


Covered with plastic for ten years? That soil was probably deader than
Elvis. You will just have to wait until it recovers. You can probably
try everything in the book to speed recolonization of the bed, but
they all more or less start with massive amounts of organic material
plus time. I would put more organic matter on top, since after all
that soil is probably dead down a few feet, so I am not sure that your
6 inches of compost have really remediated the bed. Earthworms like
manure and leaves, and you may want to make sure there are some
earthworms to start with. Mushrooms like wood chips, coffee grounds,
and mixed yard clippings (www.fungi.com for edible mushroom inoculants
both for mulch and the compost).

Everything above except the chips will be gone in several months.
Probably growing peas during the winter will help (you can plant them
right into the mulch, unless it is badly matted they will come up all
right... they might not like a pH of 7.0 though), as will adding some
organic high N source to boost levels over the year. Generally, no
need to lime in San Jose, specially if the soil is dead already. For
this year, foliar feeding will help you get something out of it.