"Earl's Hole" Disaster

hasshoes · May 30, 2007

I really should not be gardening. Really.

I printed out "Earl's Hole Method" from GardenWeb back in January with plans for great succes. . . .

After back breaking work. . . I dug up tons of huge deep holes (someone asked me if I was planting trees), and then made raised beds on top (I was a bit confused about the "scatter the soil around the hole" directions. . . I thought it meant around the outside of the hole and then put the dirt back in and mix it. . . then I realized I'd have to amend the raised bed part too. . .)

Anyway, THE DISASTER: after driving all over and hitting literally 9 stores, I ended up using hordes of PEAT MOSS (sphagum) instead of peat HUMMUS thinking they were the same thing since the peat moss was the only thing I could ever find. . . and after adding hordes of it I just found out it's PH is like 3 or 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Someone told me the soil at the community gardens was ph5!!!!!! I think I'm going to kill myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know why I didn't do a soil test. . . maybe because last year I did it for morning glories and still killed them. . . .

I have only planted 10 (albiet spaced 36 inches apart in killer peat on high rows) tomatoes. . . should I rip them up and fix the soil? Is there any hope??? Anything I can do at all?

Someone please tell me I have not done all this work for nothing!! I grew these babies in my basement gosh darnit!!!

May 30, 2007	#1
hasshoes Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: MT Posts: 438	"Earl's Hole" Disaster I really should not be gardening. Really. I printed out "Earl's Hole Method" from GardenWeb back in January with plans for great succes. . . . After back breaking work. . . I dug up tons of huge deep holes (someone asked me if I was planting trees), and then made raised beds on top (I was a bit confused about the "scatter the soil around the hole" directions. . . I thought it meant around the outside of the hole and then put the dirt back in and mix it. . . then I realized I'd have to amend the raised bed part too. . .) Anyway, THE DISASTER: after driving all over and hitting literally 9 stores, I ended up using hordes of PEAT MOSS (sphagum) instead of peat HUMMUS thinking they were the same thing since the peat moss was the only thing I could ever find. . . and after adding hordes of it I just found out it's PH is like 3 or 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Someone told me the soil at the community gardens was ph5!!!!!! I think I'm going to kill myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know why I didn't do a soil test. . . maybe because last year I did it for morning glories and still killed them. . . . I have only planted 10 (albiet spaced 36 inches apart in killer peat on high rows) tomatoes. . . should I rip them up and fix the soil? Is there any hope??? Anything I can do at all? Someone please tell me I have not done all this work for nothing!! I grew these babies in my basement gosh darnit!!!