Re: How do you fill your beds?

**N* S* <s*@earthlink.net>**

I agree with Duane regarding amending clay soil. I use Fafard soil  
conditioner- a very fine composted pine bark, mixed with OrganiMax  
compost- a top grade compost made with yard waste and laced with  
mycorrhiza,  beneficial bacterial, calcium and other good stuff. I  
also add Canadian peat to help acidify the soil, along with Turface.   
My patch is 7.8 and I water with a pH of 8.  I till all these goodies  
in with a Mantis tiller powered by Honda 4 horse power engine.  That  
puppy starts with one or two easy pulls. It really rocks.  We mulch  
all our gardens with tub ground wood mulch and shredded leaves, which  
we process ourselves.This recipe turns almost solid clay to "butter  
soil" that makes me weep when I plant in it.

  I do not  use the pine bark soil conditioner in my veggie garden.  
Does anybody use it to grow veggies?
Nancy Szerlag
On Dec 7, 2009, at 3:09 PM, Duane Campbell wrote:

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Nancy Szerlag
Columnist for Detroit News
szerlag@earthlink.net

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