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Enough Compost

Yesterday I weeded and double dug my garden. I have a section that is 35
"squares" all together. I was going to buy compost and manure, but first
decided to use the compost I did have. It has been "cooking" for a year and
was ready as can be (except the potatoes I took out of it and
transplanted...some...ate some). It was a LOT more than it looked like. I
have a large "garden cart" which probably holds twice as much as a regular
wheelbarrow. I filled it twice to the top and put that into the bed. It
raised the edge of the bed nearly an inch. I turned about 3/4 of that
compost (so about 1 and a half carts full) into the dirt and planted away.

Does this sound like enough added nutrients? Last year I turned 3 bags of
steer manure into the garden and got pretty poor results. Am I going to
need to add more of anything? I'm on a tight budget this year so I'm trying
to not have to buy amendments if possible. Should I top dress my plantings
with anything? Should I top dress later? There was PLENTY of perlite still
left in the soil so I didn't add that this year. (Its pretty loose soil and
I felt it didn't really benefit last year because water retention isn't
really a problem in the PNW.) My compost and my regular dirt was full of
worms, so it should be pretty healthy. 

What do you think? Did I just cheat my garden out of needed nutrients by
not digging in some manure or even more compost? 


Take care,

Tory Klementsen                     teechur@bigfoot.com
http://pages.prodigy.net/ms_disney
http://www.geocities.com/athens/oracle/1725

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For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.
Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.
Plans to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
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