Good morning everyone,

I get a little confused about how to prepare the ground for planting
of general plants, ie: flowers (no roses), or let say I want to plant
a grape plant? or such.
Do you put down manure or not? What is the proper combination of
"stuff" to put down.
How far down should I dig to prepare the soil.
I do not have anything truly specific to plant at this time. But just
want to know generally.
I heard that putting manure down can burn the roots.
Also, If I am starting a brand new garden in a new place , I do not
have my own compost to put down what do I do?
Is there a magic "dirt" combination or layers of dirt to prepare such
a place?
Thank you for your help,
Anita

wrote:
Do you put down manure or not? What is the proper combination of
"stuff" to put down.

I've never used manure and can't imagine doing so. Unless you like the
farm smell, of course.
What to ammend your soil with, depends on what kind of soil you have and
what you want to plant in it.

How far down should I dig to prepare the soil.

It depends on what you're planting. At least twice as deep as the pot
you're planting, I'd say.

Also, If I am starting a brand new garden in a new place , I do not
have my own compost to put down what do I do?

You buy compost?

Is there a magic "dirt" combination or layers of dirt to prepare such
a place?

There is no magic combination, but compost is always a good thing. Also
a good organic fertilizer, tailored to what you're planting and the
conditions of your soil.

More information about what kind of soil you have and what plants you
want to grow would be helpful for anybody to give you advise.


--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
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Thank you for your advice, its appreciated.
My mother always used some kind of "manure" I even remember going to a
friends house who had horses and shoveling bags of horse manure for
her garden.
She had a beautiful garden and never read a book about it.
I on the other hand , I read till I am blue in the face, and still it
only accomplishes to make me crazy...lol
I am new at gardening I admit and have been doing mostly container
gardening. Soon, hopefully, we are buying a house so that is why I am
trying to learn more.
Thank you again,
Anita

On Sat, 02 Jun 2007 07:48:22 -0700, "
wrote:

Thank you for your advice, its appreciated.
My mother always used some kind of "manure" I even remember going to a
friends house who had horses and shoveling bags of horse manure for
her garden.
She had a beautiful garden and never read a book about it.
I on the other hand , I read till I am blue in the face, and still it
only accomplishes to make me crazy...lol
I am new at gardening I admit and have been doing mostly container
gardening. Soon, hopefully, we are buying a house so that is why I am
trying to learn more.
Thank you again,
Anita

I use composted cow manure. Actually, I find the best compost around
is sold at The Natural Gardener and it's called Revitalizer Mix. He
also sells others, but this compost has elements of beneficial fungi
and bacteria and is an all around good way to start soil producing its
own biota.

jangchub wrote:
I use composted cow manure. Actually, I find the best compost around

Big difference between manure and composted manure.

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

On Sat, 02 Jun 2007 11:40:26 -0500, Victor Martinez
wrote:

jangchub wrote:
I use composted cow manure. Actually, I find the best compost around

Big difference between manure and composted manure.

Yes, of course and I knew exactly what you meant

I must say, there truly is something to nourishing the soil and
spending lots of money on the soil and then leave it be with all the
litter of the garden provided it isn't sickly.

This is the third year I have not used any pesticides at all on
anything. I don't kill anything. I don't rejoice in insects killing
non-beneficial insects. I'm off on a tangent, sorry.

What I did when I bought this house was to have a dozen yards of
Revitilizer mix delivered. It wasn't THAT expensive. Delivery and
all I think it was somewhere in the 400 dollar range. BUT, now the
soil has been innoculated with beneficial fungi and bacteria and that
is what restores the soil, along with mulch, black strap molassas,
seaweed, and hygiene.

I know you know this, I'm saying for anyone who may not know how
important healthy soil is to the success of a garden. My Ichiban
eggplants are a foot long! I can't wait to eat them.

Again thank you,

It never occured to me to have dirt delivered to help the soil.
Did you dig up anything prior to laying the dirt?
Where in your yard did you put it?
Also you mentioned that you do not kill insects. I myself do not enjoy
killing things but if you have bugs eating at your vegetable garden,
or eating your prized flowers what do you do? I am currently using a
frugal and more natural method of killing some weeds and am happy with
the results . I like things that do not harm the enviroment.
I have read some things about how run off from gardens harms the
enviroment.
thank you,
Anita

What I did when I bought this house was to have a dozen yards of
Revitilizer mix delivered. It wasn't THAT expensive. Delivery and
all I think it was somewhere in the 400 dollar range. BUT, now the
soil has been innoculated with beneficial fungi and bacteria and that
is what restores the soil, along with mulch, black strap molassas,
seaweed, and hygiene.

When we moved in seven years ago the first thing I did was have a lap
pool built. The soil was 4 feet deep where they excavated the hole,
so I had them put it in back of the yard where my garden is. Then, I
had the compost delivered and paid someone to till it in to mix with
the native soil. I waited till the weed seeds germinated because
whenever you disturb soil it will encourage weed seeds to come out of
dormancy. I tried to pull them all and then put in the beds using
limestone, in irregular shapes and slowly started planting native
plants.

The first few years I was gardening organically, still killing
insects. Then I became a Buddhist and took vows to not kill. So,
that was the impetus of no killing, not even insects which Buddhists
in my tradition believe are also sentient beings with consciousness as
we have.

It took about three years for the flea beetles to go away, and the
aphids to go away, but I stuck it out. Now the garden has found a
balance. I leave the debris on the ground around the plants and clean
up any diseased debris. There is absolutely a certain amount of
damage I was willing to withstand, but so far this year I haven't had
any pest insects in large enough numbers to ruin the aesthetic of the
plants. There is definitely an amount of tolerance you have to endure
till the garden balances out.

If you spend money on compost and work it in best you can, it will be
money well spent. Be careful who you buy your compost from. I happen
to know The Natural Gardener makes their own, in wind rows where they
innoculate it with microbes from the compost tea brews.

The life I save when I rescue an ant from the pool is my own.

No killing



On Sun, 03 Jun 2007 07:48:06 -0700, "
wrote:

Again thank you,

It never occured to me to have dirt delivered to help the soil.
Did you dig up anything prior to laying the dirt?
Where in your yard did you put it?
Also you mentioned that you do not kill insects. I myself do not enjoy
killing things but if you have bugs eating at your vegetable garden,
or eating your prized flowers what do you do? I am currently using a
frugal and more natural method of killing some weeds and am happy with
the results . I like things that do not harm the enviroment.
I have read some things about how run off from gardens harms the
enviroment.
thank you,
Anita

What I did when I bought this house was to have a dozen yards of
Revitilizer mix delivered. It wasn't THAT expensive. Delivery and
all I think it was somewhere in the 400 dollar range. BUT, now the
soil has been innoculated with beneficial fungi and bacteria and that
is what restores the soil, along with mulch, black strap molassas,
seaweed, and hygiene.