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Re: type of soil to use



Joshua Ben David wrote:

> Clay is not usually "poor" soil. It has the advantage of retaining LOTS of
> moisture and the fine particles usually make a lot of nutrients available to
> plants, unlike sandy soil. <snip>

with this I totally agree

> It is tempting to adapt sqft into a sort of large-scale container garden with
> raised beds. But I love the technique so much that I have constantly extended
> the space I plant. At a certain point, you're better off dealing with (and
> caring for) the soil condition you have been given, rather than constructing
> glorified flowerpots on the surface of your land. The labor and upkeep are less
> in the long run.

The foregoing rests on the assumption that if you build raised beds you are going
to fill them with all the latest 'designer ingredients' and forget about the clay.
It is possible, however, to care for your soil and have raised beds as well.
        I have perhaps 500 sq ft of raised beds. They are defined by wood
surrounds. All of them started with fill dirt (clay mostly) to which I have added
all sorts of organic amendments over the years. The clay platelets, however, are
still a key to the success of my soil.
        My raised beds improve drainage and define my space (most useful for record
keeping and rotating crops). A farmer's land is divided into fields, and he keeps
track of what went into each field over the years.  My raised beds do the same for
me.
        The neat thing about this list is learning how many different ways there
are to skin the cat.

Ed  Flynn  Maryland     zone 6/7


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