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Tilling - Double-Digging? Need Advice
"Jim W" wrote in message news:1g2y29y.fsc0p3te3ikgN%00senetnospamtodayta@ma cunlimited.net... Joe98 wrote: But the rotted manure IS the compost, right? And is the two thirds compost + one third (peat moss) humus about right in your opinion? Personally I wouldn't use peat moss, over here certainly it is a cause for environmental concern. Really? How so? Its also pricy! Compost on its own should do just fine. Yes rotted manure is a source of 'compost' but its not quite the same as 'compost' if you see what I mean! Well broken down store bought manure is probably the best I can do at this time. Fill first trench with soil from 2nd and continue this method across the area to be dug. When you reach end of the area you will have your soil from your initial trench to fill in. Lift the turf and stack upside down, covered under plastic. Next year you will have a ready made loam pile for potting etc. Hmm... What you suggest sounds like a good tip for making good loam, but is that necessary? As I said, I have grass on the area designated for the garden but it's spotty and useless as sod. In the process of the Double Dig, I was planning to just work the grass into the mix. After I Double Dig, I was planning to cover with plastic and leave it for all of winter. Is there anything wrong with doing it this way? It would save some work, which is important with old man winter coming around the corner. Poss but the grass may regrow.. If you turn it over as sods though its almost the same as stacking!-) Okay, I'll do the best I can with it. Much of it is already overturned and burried. Depending on how cold you're winters get, you might consider a cover crop instead. Grazing rye or Field beans ( an agricultural cultivar of broad bean) are ideal and very hardy. Similar thing as covering with placcy but looks nicer!-) Agreed, but I'm sticking with plastic for now. Cheaper and easier to work with. Maybe once I get better at gardening, I'll make the switch. Snow lets through enough air and light and is naturally cold so minimises growth. Black plastic only cuts out light and air. Ah, I figured it was something like that. Thanks. // Jim Thanks for your time and your advice Jim. Oh, is there any kind of a generic calculation one can use for figuring how much hummus and compost I'll need? I really don't know how much to get. BTW, my book says to expect the soil to be built up about 3 inches, but it seems like adding all that hummus and compost will raise it much more than than. What do you think? Dunno depends on how bad your soil is.. If you're doing a prime prep and want to do it properly I'd reckon half to 1 barrow per m2. You'll be surprised how quickly the soil resettles once the worms and soil organisms start to further break down compost.. It may be raised at first, but will soon go down. I know a guy who double digs manure into his plot 'every year'!! Not required IMO, but he does grow good veg!-) That's a good guideline, and no, I don't plan to double dig every year. Mind you he also uses chem fertilisers. Yeah, that just doesn't make much sense to me. A big reason for gardening is to get things organically. Especially here in the states where our argricultural laws allow for far too many inorganic substances in the food. We're still ingesting stuff you folks outlawed years ago. // Jim Thanks |
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