Is you goal of inoculating the beans to fix nitrogen in the root system? If
so, yes, this should have been done when you planted your seeds. I think
that your usage of compost made from wood chips and grass clippings may have
improved your soil's structure, but I would bet that your soil needs
nutrients. What kind of fertilizer are you using if any? The same with the
5 year old soil which you amended with compost of leaves and kitchen
scraps. You might consider feeding your soil with a good organic
fertilizer and some dried molasses if you can get it to encourage biological
activity in your soil. It will help a lot..
Thomas
"simy1" wrote in message
ups.com...
I pllanted my favas and my peas in beds that are one year old (they
used to be prairie). I gave the beds maybe four inches of compost made
with wood chips and grass clippings last year, and the soil, formerly
very sandy, is already vastly improved. But they never were manured.
Part of the favas went into a bed, five years old, done entirely with
compost made of leaves plus kitchen scraps. I covered all seeds with
two years old wood chips. Question: should I have inoculated them prior
to planting? Can I improve matters by side dressing with manure, which
works as inoculant? Should I inoculate my pole beans, which will go in
in a month?