Hello,
I am writing with questions about how to make my soil better for growing. I have just dug in a new garden at the front of my house and the soil is very dense and clay based. I plan on planting gladiolas, & dahlias there, as well as some annuals.
What are the best thing to mix with my current soil to promote good growth of my plants? Black Earth? manure? peat? any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks!
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we put in all new beds last year using triple mix...it already has manure and compost in it...worked well for us
I made a new garden in my former home when we removed a bunch of evergreens from the spot. The soil was very dense and clay-like. We removed most of the pine needles, but left a bit. Then I got a package of peat moss, and mixed that in well first. Packaged peat moss comes in different sizes, so bring a rough idea of the width and length of your garden bed when you go to buy one from the garden center. Then I also added a small bag of sand-just scattered it over the top. Next, I got some topsoil mix, and mixed it in well. It's good to let the soil settle for a few weeks before doing your planting, maybe after a few good rains have helped with that during the time as well. (we added a bunch of eggshells, peanut shells and coffee grounds as well, I think)
The garden plants I put in that year did well. Every year or two afterward I added a light topsoil dressing, but I stopped that once the soil seemed to be fine without.