dgk said:

On Fri, 9 Apr 2010 18:44:56 -0500, Eggs Zachtly
wrote:

dgk said:

I'll get rid of some of the grass (and weeds) and then turn and add peat
moss to the soil.

Because "Tomato Bob" told you too. lol

Did you get your soil tested, as you said you were going to do?

I did indeed. The guy said it was fine soil for planting almost
anything. He suggested starting with some lime and then a
vegetable/fruit fertilizer every six weeks.

Interesting that he'd suggest lime, if there was established turf, and you're
switching to veggies in that area.


The peas were growing really quickly indoors so I put a few of them
outside, along with some romaine and onions that I got at Garden
World. It's likely too early for the peas but I'll see how they do.
The rest have been transplanted to pots and will go out soon.

I doubt it's too early for the peas. More likely, it's too late. Good luck with
them, though! Maybe the weather will stay cool enough to harvest some. I'm zone
5a, and when I grow peas, they're in the ground either the last week of Feb, or
the first week of March.


I started ripping up some lawn area to use for tomatos. That's tough
work. I figure I'll rip up about a 12 by 5 foot area - much tougher
than it looks.

hahaha yup! A good, sharp, square spade should make quick work of it. (Or, rent
a sod cutter and be done in a few minutes.) =)


I did try some of the weed blocker material and it will likely be ok
for the tomato section of the garden, but is too unwieldy for things
like onions where you need a lot of holes. Once you put it down, it's
difficult to put plants in. When you need to put in plants 4" apart in
rows 12" apart it's difficult to work with. And I think the squirrels
will rip it to shreds.

Yup. As an alternative, you might consider using straw as a mulch. It's heavy
enough to stay put, and as it breaks down, it's beneficial to the soil. =)


What's the problem with peat moss? Oh. This?

http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/...peat-moss.html

That, and it won't really do your soil any good. It will /really/ affect pH.
While most veggies like the soil on the "sour" side, most won't like it if you
take it too far acidic. If you're planning on using that area long-term for
veggies, your best bet is good helpings of humus and compost (including
composted manure). =)


I thought the whole purpose of the stuff was to retain water in the
soil. Now I feel bad about buying it and won't do that again.

Getting the texture of the soil correct, as well as mulching, will do a lot more
for proper water retention than adding peat moss ever will. =)


I did take your advice about the lights and just propped the tray of
seedlings on a south facing window. The seedlings are about two inches
tall and some are developing the real leaves. I'm keeping an eye on
them to make sure they don't get leggy.

=)
--

Eggs

-Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.