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feldon30 · January 16, 2012

It may be helpful to give some quantities or measurements.

Shannon is starting with garden beds that sound like they may not have much organic matter. I'm thinking 1 inch of leaf mold compost, 1 inch of peat moss, and 1 - 1 1/2 inches of composted manure (or sheep/alpaca which doesn't need to be composted) gently turned into the top layer of soil would provide a good kickstart.

Is that too much? Not enough? I wonder if an earthworm test would provide some guidance?

I usually try to add about 1 inch of compost and 1 inch of composted cow manure per year to each of my beds. Also, I try to add 1-2 inches of shredded leaves into the top layer of soil. I know you don't want too many leaves or they will mat down and start to smell.

It's worth pointing out I have found tomatoes and peppers were perfectly happy with 30% compost and 70% other materials, while melons really preferred 50% compost.

Thoughts?

January 16, 2012	#12
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	It may be helpful to give some quantities or measurements. Shannon is starting with garden beds that sound like they may not have much organic matter. I'm thinking 1 inch of leaf mold compost, 1 inch of peat moss, and 1 - 1 1/2 inches of composted manure (or sheep/alpaca which doesn't need to be composted) gently turned into the top layer of soil would provide a good kickstart. Is that too much? Not enough? I wonder if an earthworm test would provide some guidance? I usually try to add about 1 inch of compost and 1 inch of composted cow manure per year to each of my beds. Also, I try to add 1-2 inches of shredded leaves into the top layer of soil. I know you don't want too many leaves or they will mat down and start to smell. It's worth pointing out I have found tomatoes and peppers were perfectly happy with 30% compost and 70% other materials, while melons really preferred 50% compost. Thoughts? __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]