An absolutely gorgeous morning!!! It is crisp and cool this morning, a bit more humidity freshening the air, and just enough cloud cover to make it a little different than most mornings. And best of all…I took a walk through our little glamstead of paradise.

Let me share a few updates with you on the “State of the Glamstead”…

Orchard –

Yeah…a bust! That deep freeze killed off virtually all of this years fruit crop of every kind. A few late blossoms have set and we might get a dozen apples or so. We’ll see.

The 3 “gift” apple trees that I have mentioned before had ZERO blossoms on them this year. The trees look fantastic, very healthy and vibrant…but not a single blossom, ever.

I’m doing my research homework now. From what I can tell it looks as if I will be buying Enterprise, Haralson, or Liberty Semi-dwarf apple trees, on M111 root stock or Bud 118 if I can’t find M111. They will not go in the ground this year. I am looking to up-pot them for the rest of this season and plant them when they are dormant this winter. Wish me luck!!

Blackberry and Raspberry Patch –

The “leftover” raspberry bushes are coming on real nicely. They were the lower-end of the larger patch from last year. If you

Raspberry Bushes

aren’t familiar…last year the raspberry bushes overtook an area and congested it with out-of-control bush growth. My wife got very worried about it being a snake haven and asked my to “uncongest” that area. Neighbors came over and gathered 30+ raspberry plants/starts to begin their own patches. The plants we didn’t take out became the “leftovers”. There are still a few stragglers coming up in the cleared area so more plant sharing with neighbors.

Blackberry Bushes

And then came the great blackberry relocation! I planted blackberry starts way too close to a row of raspberries. So wifey wanted them moved to another area…creating, another snake-free zone (hopefully). So 13 blackberry plants were relocated to another part of the yard. All of the plants are thriving in their new home.

Both the raspberry and blackberry bushes have blossoms on them already and if they keep coming on like they’ve started…Yea! Plenty of berries this year.

Blueberry Patch –

Blueberry Bushes

Well, they’ve struggled. The deep freeze back in early March wiped out the ton of blossoms that had set, even some small fruit that had showed up got hit bad. That kinda stopped that any hope of enjoying blueberries this year. And the newest bush I put in also took a huge hit…looked as if it was stone cold dead. Well, thankfully it came back and is looking just fine.

No blueberries this year…well, maybe a couple. So we’ll call this a “rebuild” year.

Strawberry Patch –

Sore subject. In all reality it is going as well as could be expected. Last year’s plants are going great, blossoms promising

Strawberry Beds

fruit maybe within the month. Some of the new bare root and live plants are doing really well. Some are dead. Some are alive, small, and trying their best. We will have strawberries this year for sure. I’d say 1/3rd of the plants aren’t going to make it. But hey, that’s okay…I will bring along some runners and start enough daughter plants to fill in the blanks. So next

Great New Strawberry Plant & one that is struggling just a bit

year…Watch Out!

I will take the blame on this. I have never planted bare root stock before so I may have messed up on how I planted them. I followed their instructions but there is considerable conflict on the “right” way to plant them. It looks as if I did the best I could on the second round trying to save what I could. We’ll see.

~ Melon Patch ~

Melon Patch

Butternut Squash : It’s all doing really well…some plants have blossoms. And if I am not blind, there is one plant that looks as if it has a tiny squash already started. I had to remove a couple of the protective chicken wire because the vines were outgrowing them: about 18” long vines on a couple.

Watermelon

Watermelon : Doing well, a couple plants have 12” vines already. One plant has a blossom on it.

Cantaloupe : Whoa! Plants are doing really well with the exception of

Cantaloupe Plant

one…looks a bit puny. A couple have 12 – 16” vines already. Plenty of blossoms!

Zucchini : Seeds are germinating and doing well. 5 of 9 seeds are showing, no true leaves yet. I will thin to 1 plant per each of the three hills.

Note: My fear that the dogs and/or rabbits would pose a problem seems to have been unfounded. I have 5 exposed plants now without disturbance. We’ll closely monitor.

~ The Garden ~

Tomatoes –

The “deep freeze” took out over half of my tomato starter plants in the greenhouse; that left me a bit limited on what I had left to plant.

Early Girl & Brandywine Tomato Plants

Early Girl (2 of these) : I’m sold!! These were very hardy, even in the freeze. They are in the ground and doing really well. Actually, I had to prune them already and a couple blossoms are showing. I got to get the new system of keeping them upright constructed. I had to put a basket on one already just to keep it vertical.

Brandywine (2 of these) : I am liking the plants so far. I’ve never eaten one but the plant so far is hardy and had to prune them already. I am expecting blossoms any day now…or at least before the end of the month. This is an experimental plant for me, never planted one before.

Rio Grand (3 of these) : This is a “Roma” substitute for our environment. I can save seeds and the saved seeds should grow reasonably true Rio Grand tomato plants…so it’s not a real F1 hybrid plant. Call it a semi-hybrid/heirloom. They are doing well…just not very big yet.

Arkansas Traveler (1 of these) : This was pure experimental. I was looking for a tomato that could handle the heat here. Problem was…the deep freeze killed off all but one of them. It’s in the ground, but real small, planted them in with the Rio Grands. I’ll see what happens…but I have great hopes for it.

Beefsteak (3 of these) : This is a love/hate relationship!! I love the taste and they can’t be beat for sandwiches. But for me…they are so hard to get started. Well, the seedlings held up fine. But, they grow real slowly and in the ground I never know if they will live or die. They look like puny midget plants at this point…but the same was the case last year…then BOOM! They explode with growth and produced like crazy.

Boston Pickling Cucumber (6 hills / 18 seeds) – The seeds came in on Saturday, seeds went into the ground on Monday. Kinda screwed up a bit…only 2 of the 6 mounds have lots of room for vines. The others not as much. My wife makes the best, crunchiest pickles you can imagine! I gotta get up some shade cloth and hoops to protect them for a while. Another project…yea!

Green Beans (a bunch) : coming along nicely, sprouted quickly.

Wala-Wala Onions – Total disaster…again. I tried to start some “sets”. They sprouted, grew 4 – 5” tall…then stalled. I was ready to throw them away but thought, “What the heck!” They are now in the raised bed with the green beans. Just kinda stuck em in the ground Monday. Oddly, this morning some of them are standing up, the others aren’t

Green Chili Peppers

dead. We’ll see.

Green Chili Peppers (3 of them) : Wow!!! The plants all look awesome and there are a couple of chilies already on the plants, one is about 2” long. Yea!!!! We love them 🙂

Rattlesnake Beans : Planted 9 ‘hills’ of 2 seeds each. Nothing showing yet…but it’s only been a week. Keeping our hopes up! This was an experiment for this variety of beans. Supposed to be real similar to a green bean but more nutritious and better suited for this area.

Anasazi Beans : Well, so far 36 plants are up and showing. I think maybe 5 – 8

Anasazi Beans

seeds haven’t made it yet. This year was a test for them. Last year I calculated that it would take 20 plants to produce an average year’s supply for one person. This year I planted 45 seeds (+/-). The seeds are great for this area’s weather, and using marginal soil. So when the blackberries came out…the Anasazi Beans found a new home. About 26’ x 18” or so for the row. I planted them double-row, staggered. The soil is pretty much marginal but I did add compost, soil conditioner, and organic fertilizer before planting about 8 or 9 days ago. I will keep you updated.

Summary –

That’s about it…you’re up to date. Garden is in and doing its thing. Irrigation is all in place. The shade cloth is ordered and will be here tomorrow. It might not get put up till Monday.

Has anyone else had the experience that raspberry and blackberry bushes could be classified an invasive species? Especially blackberries? I am thinking they are.

SPECIAL NOTE: It is not too late to plant a garden. In most areas of the country there is still plenty of growing season left…almost all of it actually. Go buy yourselves some nice vegetable plants from Lowes and get them in the ground…or in your raised bed. You can also go “container” as well. Just plant something will ya !!!

Ahhhh, Final Note: Yes, I still have to do my final weeding between the raised beds and around the blackberries…give me a break.

 2009 - 2026 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved
No reproduction or other use of this content
without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com
No legal, economic, or financial advice is given, no expertise to be assumed.
I may receive compensation from advertised/mentioned products on this website.
See Content Use Policy for more information.

I posted an article on soil amendments and what each is and does. < click here > What I will do today is tell you a bit about how I actually use those products with my soil and in my garden operation. It would be really, really helpful if you read the “GARDEN : Soil Amendments…Better & Healthier Soil & Plants!” article first.

If you are blessed enough to live in the mid-west, like I did as a kid, you probably don’t have to do much to improve your soil. Their soil is called Mollisol…it’s a highly fertile prairie soil. It developed over thousands of years of deep-rooted prairie grasses (6–15 feet deep), seasonal dieback of that grass (incredible soil carbon and structure), plenty of live microbial activity and gradual organic matter accumulation. What makes it special? Very high organic matter, a rich dark color (usually black), excellent nutrient retention, good soil structure, deep root “zones” that makes for strong agricultural productivity. So we just have to recreate that in our raised beds and in-ground gardens. Simple!

Oh, I almost forgot…since it is all started with an incredible grass prairie, there was 10’ of thousands of years of animal grazing. And that natural grazing resulted in a tremendous amount of natural fertilizer on top of everything else…literally. So let’s go over some soil “fixes” and ideas.

First up…seedling soil – Here is what I would use (will use) next year:

• 40% peat moss
• 25% perlite
• 25% vermiculite
• 10% worm castings

Or, optionally,

• 35% peat moss
• 25% perlite
• 20% vermiculite
• 10% worm castings
• 10% VERY fine charged biochar (optional)

I call this my “germination phase.”

Notes:

1. Peat moss

Holds moisture evenly, creates a soft/fine seed bed, slightly acidic (which many seedlings like), and helps prevent rapid drying in your dry climate.

2. Perlite

Keeps the mix airy and prevents damping-off problems and compaction. Very important in peat-heavy mixes.

3. Vermiculite

Holds both water and nutrients near the seed roots. Excellent for germination consistency.

4. Worm castings

Adds biology, mild nutrition, humic substances, enzymes, and microbial activity without “burning” seedlings like stronger fertilizers can.

5. Biochar (optional)

Can create a better microbial habitat, nutrient buffering, improved aeration, moisture moderation, pH buffering (from peat moss that tends to be a bit acidic), & long-term root conditioning improving transition to “up-potting”. If using biochar it has to be “pre-charged” and not used raw. I like to pre-charge it in diluted liquid organic fish fertilizer. Relax, “pre-charged” just means put the biochar in a small bucket or bowl of the diluted liquid organic fish fertilizer for a few days so it absorbs the liquid nutrients and microbes.

6. I haven’t used coco coir myself but it can be used as a replacement for peat moss, and I’ve heard it can be better. It can be 50/50 peat moss / coco coir up to 100% coco coir. I will try some this year…for a test I will try 100% replacement of peat moss to see how I like it.

Next would be my first “up-potting” soil –

• • 30% peat moss (coco coir for part or all)
  • 30% high-quality compost
  • 20% perlite
  • 10% worm castings
  • 5 – 10% charged fine biochar
  • 5 – 10%vermiculite (optional)

Goal for first up-potting: I usually up-pot multiple times depending on a number of factors. But, basically I am looking at this first transition moves seedlings from a ‘germination environment’ into a ‘growth environment. What I mean by that is more nutrition, more biology, stronger root structure, slightly less moisture saturation, more air exchange…but still not ready for a heavy garden soil. This mix is biologically active, structurally airy, moisture-buffering, and nutritionally gentle. But is also strong enough to push real vegetative growth in those new plants. I call this my “transition phase.”

Notes:

1. 1. 1. The “high-quality compost” means no chunks at all, it has to be fine. It brings in microbes and nutrients.
      2. Charged biochar at this point helps level out the water retention/release, and pretty much the same for nutrients and microbes.
      3. Optionally, as needed, a small amount of mineral nutrition would help but not heavy fertilizer application…and only an organic fertilizer. At first up-potting seedlings begin needing trace minerals more consistently. Fertilizers such as kelp meal, azomite, basalt rock dust, fish bone meal, or humic acid. Apply very lightly.

Final & subsequent up-potting –

• • 30% peat moss and/or coco coir
  • 30% regular mature compost
  • 15–20% perlite
  • 10% worm castings
  • 10% charged biochar
  • 5–10% mineral/native soil

Goal for final & subsequent up-potting: This soil mix will accomplish two things for me; 1) provides a quality soil that prepares the plant to transition to my raised beds or my well-amended in-ground garden area. 2) I also believe that I could up-pot a plant to a large enough container and just leave them in that container for growing all season long…if I put a layer of mulch on them. I call this my “production phase.”

Notes:

1. 1. Equal parts peat and mature compost provides moisture buffering, good root penetration, and soil structural softness. They also promote full microbial activity, fungal development, and balanced nutrient release.
   2. Regular mature compost is fine at this point and doesn’t need to be ultra-screened. But, I’d still avoid large wood chunks and any uncomposted material.
   3. Perlite is important to me at this point, it helps prevent soil collapse and compaction and from staying too wet. It also provides aeration for the roots keeping oxygen moving and microbes balanced.
   4. Pumice can be used in place of perlite.
   5. Charged biochar becomes very valuable at this stage.
   6. The “native soil” at this point honestly helps with the economic side. But it also lays the groundwork for a healthy transition if the plant is going into the ground.
   7. Also, at this stage a very light application of a balanced organic fertilizer is a good idea. The operative word being “light”.
   8. At this point I am trying to provide aeration for the roots, balance of water retention/release, healthy soil biology, just enough mineralization in the soil, and soil structure that will encourage growth…and lots of it.

A couple closing thoughts…

• Soil mixes can get expensive pretty quickly. If you have the money for it, fine. If not, adapt. Substitute your own fine high-quality compost that you have made. If you don’t have worm castings, you can still grow excellent plants without them. For the final up-potting use your soil from your existing raised bed. If you don’t have liquid fish fertilizer make “weed tea.” I would rather see seedlings →plants → food → plate than giving up for lack of a “perfect” soil mix.
• If you have a seedling tray fail due to lack of water or neglect…I’m sorry. But, you can recycle that soil to save money. I would use it in place of “fine high-quality compost.”
• If you have annual flowers dying off at the end of the season I would not hesitate to save the soil for use in the garden the next year. I would view it as “fine high-quality compost.” You can leave the roots in the soil as well…it’s organic matter. Don’t leave the above-ground plant itself with the soil…you might get a lot of weird looking flowers next year.
• Just get out there and do it!!

Related Articles –

• GARDEN : Soil Amendments…Better & Healthier Soil & Plants!

 2009 - 2026 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved
No reproduction or other use of this content
without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com
No legal, economic, or financial advice is given, no expertise to be assumed.
I may receive compensation from advertised/mentioned products on this website.
See Content Use Policy for more information.

It just never seems to end with me and my strawberry patch! It is getting old…really, really, old.

Over the weekend (last weekend) I went out and really studied my strawberry patch. Remember, it was early April when I planted both “live plants” and “bare root plants” to fill-out my expanded strawberry patch. I dedicated 5 raised beds to grow a combination of Albion and Eversweet strawberries. Yeah, we like strawberries…a lot! That’s about 150sq’ of bed area. Or, a 75’ long 2’ wide row…two plants wide. Plenty of room to grow a huge patch.

We ended up putting in 20 live line plants of Eversweet, 25 bare root Eversweet plants, and 25 bare root Albion plants. We have maybe 6 or so plants carred over from last year. That is a great start for a great patch!

Well, as of last Sunday (a week ago)…yeah, not so good. Actually…pretty pathetic.

A quick assessment gave me the idea that we were losing ½ of all the bare root plants and maybe ¼ of the live plants. And the carry over plants looked sick. But I had followed all the instructions of the nurseries that I bought the plants from…and the plants were failing miserably. I estimated that within a month the patch would be full of little more than dead plants.

Now what to do?

Look, I followed the depth of hole, crown placement, wood chip mulch recommendation, and watering guidelines. The soil was healthy, well amended, and prepared properly. Yet, it was a serious problem quickly heading towards disaster!

So, on Monday morning I located an “expert” and they agreed to help me. I sent them pictures and described everything from planting to watering. Boy…did they read me the riot act! They sent me a “to-do” list to start right then and there. They estimated that I would save about 60 – 75% of the plants if I started immediately and do what they told me. Okay…trust buy verify.

I contacted the better of the two nurseries that I bought plants from, the live plant supplier. I explained what was going on in the patch and they told me what to do…which was different than the other nursery, way different from the “expert”, and also a bit different from their original instructions.

Then I went back to the “expert” and shared the new set of “to-do” from the supplier…thankfully they were patient…very patient. Step-by-step they explained to me why the new “to-do” from the supplier would not work…at all. Actually, they explained that the plants would all be lost and why they would fail. They made sense based on my gardening knowledge in other areas and it matched up with common sense. More garden work to be done!

So here is what the new plan is to save the patch:

1. Remove all the wood chip mulch.
2. Cut off any dead or sick looking leaves and stems from the plants.
3. Put a 1tbsp ring of organic 4-4-4 fertilizer around the “drip edge” of the plant, not near the plant crown.
4. Scratch that into the surface, then water it in really well.
5. Then put about 1oz of a 6-12-12 fish-based liquid fertilizer around each plant at the drip edge, not near the crown.
6. Then put a 6” – 8” ring of worm castings around each plant, ¼” – ½” thick. Don’t mound it up around the plant crown. Here’s the problem…it would have cost hundreds of dollars to do this step based on the number of plants and the cost of worm castings…even in bulk. So they said place it around the most mature plants and the healthiest of the live plants. That I can do.
7. Then use clean, weed-free straw as a mulch on the entire bed, but keep the mulch 1” away from the plant crown. The straw will settle over time, they wanted 2” total after it settled.
8. And I had to change the irrigation strategy as well…timing and emitter placement.

I didn’t have the worm castings or the straw on-hand…worm castings ordered from Amazon (best value) and will pick the straw in an hour or so from the local feed store.

So yesterday I spent the rest of the day removing all the wood chip mulch, applying the fertilizer treatment, and doing most of the irrigation changes. The “expert” was emphatic that the straw mulch go on today at the latest…so today it is. I won’t get the worm castings until Friday so that has to wait. When the castings get here I will simply pull back the mulch from the identified plants, add the worm castings, then get the mulch back in place. Once that is done I will sit back and watch everything go perfectly and strawberries will just jump into my mouth!

Here is what I had when I thought I was done a couple weeks ago…

Then today this is what I found…

I had dead plants like this one…no green at the crown at all. But I won’t pull them out…I will just leave them, treat them, and see if they might come back to life like a gardener’s resurrection dream come true.

Here is a live plant that I had just planted a few weeks ago. Sickly, edges are yellowing and/or brown…a couple crispy leaves as well.

This plant is a second season plant that also looks rather sick…looks worse than it did a month ago. Yellowing leaves, no new healthy growth, some crispy edges, etc.

After I had removed all the wood chips, added the organic fertilizer, and watered it in. I also moved the irrigation emitters to get more water where it was needed.

Here is the tour of the new and improved strawberry patch. Strawberry Patch 2.1…

Related Articles –

• GARDEN : Strawberries – Planting Bare Root
• GARDEN : Strawberries – Planting Live Plants

 2009 - 2026 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved
No reproduction or other use of this content
without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com
No legal, economic, or financial advice is given, no expertise to be assumed.
I may receive compensation from advertised/mentioned products on this website.
See Content Use Policy for more information.

It’s vitally important to have healthy soil to grow healthy produce…and a lot of it. To that end I will cover; Biochar, Blood Meal, Bone Meal, Coco Coir, Compost, Gypsum, Leaf Mold, Mulch, Peat Moss, Perlite/Pumice, Seaweed/Kelp, Vermiculite, and Worm Castings.

There is a big difference in the requirement and application for each amendment used; 1) raised bed, 2) in-ground garden. For raised beds you are starting from scratch and “building” your soil. For in-ground gardens you are “fixing” the soil you already have. Whatever the application, rich healthy soil gives you better tasting, healthier fruit and vegetables…from healthier plants.

So let’s go down the list…

Biochar –

Biochar is specially made charcoal used to improve soil. It is produced in a controlled low-oxygen heating process. Biochar is really helpful for sandy/native soils, dry climates, and where low organic matter exists in the soil. Biochar is helpful because biochar can help hold moisture, hold nutrients, support microbes, and reduce leaching. Think of it as tiny black porous sponge-like rocks full of microscopic holes. Those pores can hold water, hold nutrients, and shelter microbes which helps build long-term soil structure. Biochar can persist in soil for decades or even centuries. However, raw biochar can temporarily tie up nitrogen, absorb nutrients from soil, raise pH, and initially slow plant growth because it behaves like a giant empty sponge absorbing all that but releasing later over time. It is important to “charge” biochar first by soaking it in compost tea, mixing with compost, mixing with aged manure, mixed in with worm castings, or soaked with fish fertilizer…filling up the “sponge”…loading nutrients and microbes into the biochar before adding it to soil. Think of it this way…“Compost feeds the soil today. Biochar helps the soil hold onto those benefits longer.” Biochar is a helper not some miracle product

* I’ve used biochar this year…a fair amount actually. And no, I can’t see any improvement in the soil…it’s only been a month or two. But I have faith in the science of it.

Blood Meal –

Think nitrogen…it delivers it quickly. Blood meal is made from…you guessed it…animal blood from slaughterhouses. It’s sterilized, dried, and ground into powder. is typically 12–15% nitrogen, which is very high for an organic amendment. Nitrogen is what plants use to build, leaves, stems, and chlorophyll for photosynthesis. When plants don’t have enough nitrogen, they grow slowly and look pale. Blood meal can begin helping within days to a couple of weeks. It is also helpful when you have chunky compost. Blood meal will feed nitrogen to the microbes that are breaking down those woody chucks. Blood meal is not a general use soil amendment, it is a very specific remedy.

* When my greenhouse plants started to turn a bit pale, yellowing, and losing that bright lovely green…I added a treatment of the blood meal to each plant after watering well; and then watered it in again. The green came back within a 2 – 3 days.

Bone Meal –

Made from bones (mostly cattle) that have been steamed sterilized, then dried and ground into a fine powder. It is a great source for Phosphorus (10–15% normally) but where it really shines is calcium…high concentration of it. Phosphorus helps with root development, promoting flowering/blossoms, fruiting, and early plant establishment. A number of folks like to use it when planting tomatoes. The calcium availability can help with water uptake, and that can help with blossom end rot. Most raised bed soil, if done properly, doesn’t need bone meal.

* I’ve used this when planting tomatoes. I used it as a dusting in the bottom of the hole, the sides, and a top-dressing around (but not touching) the stem. Look at it this way…tomatoes need a lot of water. If a lot of water is available to the plant, but the soil calcium is low, the tomatoes can’t uptake the water as well. Bone meal can boost the calcium content of the soil potentially making more water available to the plant.

Coco Coir –

Is kinda like peat moss in some ways. It is made from the husks of coconuts. It improves the structure of soil, gives it water retention capability, improves aeration, which helps avoid soil compaction. It is often preferred over peat moss if the coco coir is quality, and not fresh. Look for a product that states “washed” or “buffered”. It also doesn’t add any nutrients to the soil. It is best when building the soil initially, not useful as a top dressing.

* I’ve not personally used this product but I hear great things about it. And the #1 thing I hear…it replaces peat moss and is a better product than peat moss.

Compost –

Compost is basically decomposed organic material made from things like: leaves/pine needles, grass clippings, fine wood chips, food scraps, and manure. When properly processed (over time, microbes break it down) into a dark, crumbly, soil-like material. When done correctly it becomes a slow-release, well-balanced nutrition source for your garden. It contains Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), and trace minerals…and usually microbes, beneficial bacteria and fungi if it wasn’t over processed. And I’ve found earth worms in some I’ve bought locally. Essentially compost is the bomb for gardens and raised beds. It is often the solution for any kind of poor soil, or soil that has been worn out over time. It holds water like a sponge, improves drainage, and prevents compaction. For plants it makes them more drought tolerant, better nutrient uptake, and healthier overall growth. It is really great when building soil for raised beds or improving ground-based gardens. It can also be used as a top dressing (usually ¼” – 1” depending on the plant variety). Don’t confuse actual compost with actual mulch…compost feeds, mulch protects.

* I am a great lover of and believer in compost! I have used it extensively to improve the soil here on the glamstead. To me…it is the ultimate soil “fixer-upper”. Like the ultimate general-purpose medicine that can cure anything that ails you. If you are blessed with the Midwest’s black soil called Mollisols, then you have the ultimate soil to grow pretty much anything. That is what compost is helping me to recreate here in my raised beds and to a lesser degree in my “in-ground” melon patch rows.

Gypsum –

Gypsum is a natural mineral (calcium sulfate) that is mined and comes in powder or granules. The #1 benefit of gypsum for gardeners is it can improve some clay soils, especially sodium-heavy or compacted soils. The #2 benefit is it will force out sodium from the soil.

* I used this on my yard…probably wasting my time. The application rate would have to be very high, like ¼lb per square foot. Why not effective? Besides my very low application rate, my soil is not high in sodium. Gypsum is best used when compaction is present and caused mainly by soil sodium content.

Leaf Mold –

Leaf mold is decomposed leaves that have broken down (fungal-driven) over time, usually 1–2 years. It is not compost…it comes from only leaves. Better than compost for water retention. Really improves soil structure…think aeration. Very low in nutrients but rich in beneficial fungi. It is not a fertilizer, it builds soil structure. It is really under-rated and under-used by gardeners.

* I’ve not used leaf mold and can’t really comment on it.

Mulch –

Mulch is essentially any material, organic or inorganic, placed on top of soil to protect and improve it. Yeah, you can include rock and plastic sheeting in the description. For me I am only referring to organic material such as straw, leaves, and wood chips. Mulch slows evaporation which then keeps soil from drying out too quickly. It also keeps soil cooler in hot days and warmer at night during cold/cooler nights…and that reduces plant stress…and that makes for healthier plants. It will also help reduce weed presence. I have found the best mulch is straw…clean, weed-free straw. I strongly avoid hay as mulch because…seeds galore…and it could have been treated with chemicals that will kill your garden for years. Finally, over time organic mulch will breakdown and improve soil structure.

* I’ve used mulch extensively in the past…and currently. It is a must in our area due to soil dryness and evaporation. But it is also extremely important in our area for sun protection. If the soil here is exposed to direct sunlight it “bakes”…yes, literally bakes. It gets so hot that you touch it and it is hot enough to cause pain. That kills a lot of the good stuff in soil such as microbes, worms, etc. And the surface of the soil gets to baked hard that when it does rain the water just runs off.

Peat Moss –

Peat moss is partially decomposed moss material harvested from peat bogs broken down over thousands of years. Peat moss can hold a lot of moisture. It loosens compacted soil and helps create kind of a fluffy root-friendly soil structure. Which makes it great for seed mixes and potting soil. It is acidic so it lowers pH. And that makes it good for blueberries and potatoes…somewhat. It is not ideal in huge amounts for everything. There is little to no nutrition in it; Coco Coir is a better option. Compost is the best alternative. Peat moss improves water holding — but compost improves soil life. Peat moss has fallen out of favor in recent years among some gardeners.

* I’ve used peat moss a lot over the years, far less this year than previous years. Why? I am switching over to using more compost that peat moss. And where I need more “life” in the soil…worm castings is for me. I’ve used peat moss when starting seeds…and will continue to do so as part of the seedling mix.

Perlite/Pumice –

Perlite is expanded volcanic glass; basically volcanic rock heated until it “pops” like popcorn. Which in turn creates lightweight white porous particles. Improves drainage, adds air pockets (roots need oxygen), and reduces soil compaction (add a bit of fluffy to the soil structure). No real nutrients; it improves the physical soil structure. Normally, compost is usually a more valuable option. Vermiculite is an alternative. Vermiculite is not as good with drainage, but better at water retention. Pumice is pretty much the same as perlite…used interchangeably. The biggest advantage to pumice is its weight. Perlite is very light and will float and/or blow away; pumice is heavier and will stay put longer. It also keeps its structure longer as well.

* I’ve used perlite a lot and will continue to do so in the right application requirement. I’m not real crazy that it floats and can blow away. It is good in seedling mix. I’ve not used pumice and no intention to use it in the future but it is a valid option to avoid it blowing away.

Seaweed/Kelp –

Kelp/seaweed is made from ocean seaweed, usually kelp. “It is used primarily as a liquid fertilizer—not a heavy fertilizer—but as a source of micronutrients and trace minerals.” It helps plants handle heat, drought, transplant shock, and other environmental stresses. For root development kelp can stimulate root growth and branching. It is really good for seedlings and transplanting. And it is a boost for microbes, especially when you combine it with compost and/or worm castings. Look at kelp as more valuable as a plant health “tonic” than as fertilizer.

* I’ve not used seaweed based fertilizers so I have no first-hand experience with it.

Vermiculite –

Vermiculite is actually a naturally occurring mineral heated until it expands into lightweight flaky particles/granules. Vermiculite absorbs a lot of moisture, more than perlite or pumice. Unlike perlite, vermiculite can retain nutrients somewhat which helps reduce nutrient leaching out of the soil. When seed starting it is excellent for germination and keeping seeds evenly moist…great in seed-starting mixes. The downside…too much vermiculite can reduce oxygen and create soggy soil. Great for sandy soils as well…holds in moisture and releases it slowly. Compost, mulch, and worm castings are alternatives to seriously consider. Comparison…perlite fights soggy soil, vermiculite fights dry soil.

* This year I really started using vermiculite and I love it. It is a perfect product to help with our sandy soil. The first time I used was about 17 years ago when I planted a pine tree in horrible dead compacted sandy soil. I used the large granular variety and it was amazing! Made a huge difference in the soil and the tree grew like crazy.

Worm Castings –

Worm castings are basically premium compost processed through earthworms. Process is worms eat organic material, microbes help break it down in the worm’s digestive system, and then worms excrete highly stable nutrient-rich material. Yup…worm poop. Worm castings are very gentle and they are beneficial to microbes, soil “life”, and nutrient cycling adding to long-term plant and soil health. Worm poop contains microbes, enzymes, humic substances (humic substances formed from long-term decomposition of organic matter…ancient plant material and other composted organic matter), and nutrients. For seed starting it is fantastic! For transplant recovery it is awesome. Compared to compost…compost feeds the soil, worm castings supercharge the soil.

* This year was the first year using worm poop. I really like the stuff. I’ve used organic 100% worm castings that I bought from Lowes and Home Depot…both are great, both worked, Home Depot was a bit less expensive…$1.67 vs $1.87. I bought a bag from Amazon about $1.10 per pound in a 40lb bag. The stuff from Amazon was also organic, but I had “Worm Egg Material” in it as well. The product emphasizes that the worm eggs are the cocoons worms lay plus tiny balls of soil and bedding bits not eaten by worms, designed to enhance microbial activity in your soil. In the product description; “A Chance for Worms – Worm eggs may hatch in soil, adapt, and begin to help improve soil quality.” So I have no problems or issues with the addition of the “Worm Egg Material” in with the organic worm castings…might actually be better due to the chance of worms hatching.

NOTE: “These are my experiences and observations gardening; results may vary depending on climate and soil conditions.”

In the next article I will talk a bit about how I mix different amendments.

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It’s getting close to panting time so that means getting my raised beds ready for all those new plants coming from my greenhouse. I built the beds a couple of years ago and here’s how I “built” the dirt for them < click here >. Last year I had to add a bit of dirt & compost to fill them back up due to some settling…which is normal. This year I have to do the same but it will be far less to add.

I wrote about mulch/compost < click here > which I will be adding today. The “fill” today will be the bulk compost from the local green recycler which also happens to be owned by Gro-Well.

Note: No, that first picture above is not of my raised bed. I created it with AI just because I could and I thought it would be cool.

Starting out the bed doesn’t look all that bad, some weeds, but too much sand/dirt, not enough organic matter. Weeds are not bad at all. Yeah, you can see my garden/spade/digging fork in the background. I won’t be using a shovel…no need to. The “fork” does a much better job of mixing the soil and breaking up any “clods” of dirt.

First pass is just taking out the weeds.

Then I go down each side and turn over the existing dirt. I don’t get too crazy, just push that fork in and turnover whatever comes up.

Then comes the “amendments”.
I sprinkle in about 2 cups of a 4-4-4 organic fertilizer to provide nutrients to the entire bed. This is about a 50sq’ bed, use your best judgement on how much fertilizer you should put in your bed(s)…yeah, follow the bag’s instructions.
Since this bed has a higher volume of dirt (and some clay), I am also adding about one #10 can of  bio-char (I will post an article about bio-char later…in a week or so).

Here’s an up close picture of what the amendments look like.

I then added 8 5-gal buckets of the compost on top of that. Then that all gets turned in/over once again.

Here’s a “hack” for you…I then watered it with a pretty high concentration of 5-1-1 Alaska fish based liquid fertilizer.
Why?
Because the chunkier pieces of “compost” will take/borrow nitrogen from the soil to feed the microbes that will break those woody pieces down into fine/better compost. And that nitrogen that it uses will not be available to the plants in a week or two when I transplant…or for another couple of months, etc. So, the addition of the liquid nitrogen fertilizer will be used to feed the microbes and leave the nitrogen in the soil. Yes, once the microbes have used the nitrogen to breakdown the chunks, the nitrogen will be available once again for the plants to use.

Finally, I raked it all out to a pretty decent looking bed. I will water it a couple of times before I plant to make sure the soil is at least damp and to help out the microbes. Also, it activates the organic fertilizer so it releases into the soil.
And don’t get carried away…I will turn it all over once more time, then rake it out before I do the actual planting. That ensures everything is well mixed in and ready to grow some amazing tomatoes.

Here’s a close-up of what the soil looks like when I was all done. When I do the actual transplant I will use a “planting soil” mix that isn’t quite so chunky. But, I wouldn’t have to…there is nothing wrong with this soil for growing healthy and happy plants.

Couple Extra Notes –

1. If I had too much clay soil in the bed I would add more bio-char, a healthy amount of perlite and more compost.
2. If I had too much sand I would add a bunch of bio-char, a healthy amount of vermiculite and more compost.
3. For any older bed or a known nutrient poor bed, but the soil had a good composition, I would use worm castings, bio-char, and an organic fertilizer such as 4-4-4 or 5-5-5.
4. If I had too much compost in my bed then I would use perlite and coarse sand to give it more structure. If the compost is really dense, not chunky, then I would add in small, aged, wood chips. But remember, those chips will borrow nitrogen from the soil as the microbes break them down…so add a nitrogen amendment helper.
5. If I was really worried that my soil wasn’t good enough then I would use a planting mix for the hole I put my plant in. That means fill in around my plant with worm castings. Then use it as a top dressing, about 1/4″ or so.

Related Articles –

• How to make dirt…Part #1
• GARDEN : Let’s talk mulch…ah, compost…

 2009 - 2026 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved
No reproduction or other use of this content
without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com
No legal, economic, or financial advice is given, no expertise to be assumed.
I may receive compensation from advertised/mentioned products on this website.
See Content Use Policy for more information.