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Old 27-02-2006, 09:15 PM posted to rec.gardens
simy1
 
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Default Rehabilitating Soil

It is difficult to diagnose from a distance. Is your soil clay or sand?
If it did not look like rich black dirt, your compost applications
might be too little. I put in two inches most years.
If you put in too little compost, you may have some micronutrient
deficiency, a condition that will not be helped by synthetic
fertilizer, but will be helped by large amounts of compost.
I try to prevent that by also giving some wood ash to the garden. In
Philly, you will probably have acid soil as well, so you might try a
couple of pounds on your plot.

And if you grossly overdid the fertilization you might have an excess
of one or more macronutrients, specially if the soil is clay and
retains them. That, in turn, might chemically prevent the absorption of
other nutrients.

If you don't want to test the soil, two inches of manure will alleviate
whatever you may have. Even if it is a chemical imbalance, it will
buffer it some. It certainly has enough nutrients to get you through a
season without other fertilization. Many vegetables can be planted
through manure after a single good rainfall. Most greens, squashes and
melons, garlic, tomatoes and potatoes, will happily grow in manure that
was laid a month before. Just lay it on top, clear a little space when
you plant, to avoid direct contact with the young plant, and let the
worms pull it in for you.