Re: Soil

And all it cost was a HECK of a lot of work!  (But sounds luscious.)

The problem I have with this great idea is that, whereas you obviously have
lots of clear space to work over, I garden almost exclusively beneath old
trees and established shrubs.  I can't run a rototiller in there but
definitely!  I have done a few small raised beds, but mostly I've worked
(amateurishly) creating a woodland garden using ground where I found it.  I
could certainly dig around more than my target spot and larger than twice
the width of the current plant roots....

And I'm wondering if a thick layer of compost now or in Spring over the
whole thing will start to improve what's already been done.

Diann

-----Original Message-----
From: PRIMROSES [s*@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU]On Behalf Of
GeneBush
Sent: Sunday, October 22, 2000 7:28 AM
To: shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject: Re: [SG] Soil


Hello Nancy, Marge & others,
    When I used the expression "$50.00 hole for a $1.00 plant" it was just
that.... an expression. Not meant to be taken literally. I don't believe I
have
ever simply dug a hole, filled with amendments and planted here. (well,
perhaps
when I first began gardening, but not since I saw the results)
    Example. I am finally completing a section of my garden where two levels
join
by way of a path having steps going up the hill from one level to the other.
Upper
portion is pretty good for it was worked and maintained. Lower section is
pure
hard clay. I am creating a bed that swings upward, stones will line the
paths
creating walls to contain the raised bed. All the worst of the hard sticky
clay
has either  been removed or broken as fine as I can get it. I have dug
compost in
mixing the clay and compost for the bottom level of the bed. Next I will add
more
compost and mix once more. Then I will mix left over potting medium and mix
once
more. Essentially I will be creating a well-drained raised bed about 25 feet
long
and 12 feet wide in a curve. Depth will be from one foot to about 18 inches
in
places.
    That pretty much describes one of my current $50.00 "holes".
    Gene Bush     Southern Indiana    Zone 6a     Munchkin Nursery
          around the woods - around the world
genebush@otherside.com     http://www.munchkinnursery.com
----- Original Message -----
From: nancy swell <swell@EROLS.COM>
Subject: [SG] Soil


> I was brought up with Gene's $50.00 hole for a $1.00 plant, but had never
> gardened in the Richmond area. Apparently, my natural soil is "Fragipan".
I
> didn't know what that is either, but soon learned. My clay is "short", no
> plasticity. The clay that they make porcelain from. Apparently, there is
> also enough sand in it to make mortar. I never got dirty, and the soil
> didn't make ruts. Would anyone believe a sandy hardpan? At any rate, a
hold
> filled with water just sat there. An area that I had double trenched did
> not respond to the humus I had added. So, I flagged down a passing truck
> that was hauling a big load of 3/4 rotted compost. He dumped more than 6"
> on top of the bed I was working on, and except for adding manure to it, I
> didn't even dig it in, just planted it. One happy day..... the plants
loved
> it. If we dig a hole in this stuff, it forms a bath tub, so it has to be
> either a raised bed, or at least a garden area. One of my projects was
> building a sunroom on the end of the house. Depending on solar heat, the
> floor used 11 cubic yards of concrete. Needless to say, that was one big
> concrete mixer. My neighbors were afraid that it would crack their drive,
> so it went up my front lawn. Didn't leave tracks, in fact it did not even
> kill the grass! The worst of it was that it went down thru my rockgarden,
> and I couldn't tell where it had been. The one thing that I have learned
> with this stuff is to use pine bark instead of peat, keeps the soil open
> longer. Have used a lot of chips from the tree cutters, and finally have a
> decent soil. You have to learn to make the most of what you have
available.
> ..... Nancy
>
> >What this means to me is that having a really loose, organic root run
> >makes plants very happy.  So, moral of this longish tale is give your
> >plants as open a root environment as you can...they will thank you:-)
>
> Nancy Swell <swell@erols.com>
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