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Re: type of soil to use

>X-Originating-IP: [192.171.11.151]
>From: "Ron Thomas" <n4wyr@hotmail.com>
>To: sqft@lists.umsl.edu
>Subject: Re: type of soil to use
>Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 10:30:53 PDT
>Sender: owner-sqft@lists.umsl.edu
>
We also have clay here in zone 7-Oklahoma, commonly known as black gumbo.
Hot!  Hot!  Hot!!  I do know what you mean about the "clay" turning into
"bricks".  The soil is soooo poor.  We resolved that problem by building
raised beds from untreated 2 x 10's.  We have three of them, each 4 x 12 to
compensate for Mel's sqft measurements.  We used 1/3 compost from a local
plant nursary, 1/3 topsoil and 1/3 peat moss.  This has only been my first
year of sqft gardening.  It is also my first year of gardening period, so
wanted to keep things simple.

Box 1: Planted 7 tomatoe plants (celebrity & champion), 6 okras, 2 summer
squashes, and 1 cucumber in one of the 4 x 12's.  Misplaced Mel's book when
I planted so this may be too many.  The tomatoes are staked down one side
with the other plants on the other.  A few marigolds are thrown in for good
measure (I heard they help keep the bad bugs away).  Tomatoes are going
great guns after my initial problem with blossom rot.  Okras look puny -
don't know why - it's probably a good thing otherwise may be too crowded.
Summer squash has good foliage - no veggies.  The cucumber is growing
straight up a slim pole.  My husband didn't think it would do that.  It has
produced a cuke and looks like another one or two have started.  I'm sure
I'm doing some things wrong, but I guess it isn't too bad for a first year
and a hot & dry one at that.  It may have something to do with my soil
combination SO BEWARE.  I water every day.

Marilyn

>Hi,
>
>My garden is mostly dead for the season.  I live in extreme northeastern 
>North Carolina, the soil where my garden is, is mostly white heavy clay.  
>I planted in mid May, it was too wet prior to that.  My tomatoes, 
>peppers, and eggplant died of heat stroke in June.  The cucmbers, 
>squash, and melons are still doing great.  After each rain storm it 
>would be too wet to walk in, then dry out to be "harder than a brick".  
>My idea is to compost "in place" in preparation for next season.  My 
>question is, should I roto-till in straw and manure, or are there other 
>materails which are cheap and plentiful which would be better to use.
>
>Ron
>
>
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