Newbie question about prepping the soil

Hello, Everyone!

My DH and I have just purchased a couple of acres with a trailer on it in the hopes of replacing the trailer with a house in the next year. We live some distance away, and this property is to be our "retirement home."

We JUST closed escrow and still have to decide exactly where the best place is to eventually build. However, we would like to put in some small raised beds come spring. They may end up being permanent or they may be temporary.

The soil has quite a bit of clay. Judging from the very healthy weeds, the soil IS fertile! There are deep cracks in the soil right now and it is very hard. Before it starts to rain, we'd like to have the soil in the front section of the property disked and have some compost rototilled in, then put in some beds come spring when the soil dries out a little. (The winters here are VERY wet.)

Apparently we can get a good deal on some organic compost if we buy 5 yards of it. My question is, is this going to be too much compost? (I'm estimating that the area we want to till up is about a third of an acre.) Can we damage the soil by adding too much compost?

I figure I've got the whole winter to read up on gardening and decide what goes where, but the rains will be here shortly and I would like to do some prep. I hope some of you more experienced gardeners can give me a little advice. Thanks!

You really can not go wrong with compost, mix it in or leave on top and let the worms and your own digging when planting to mix it in. What you can go wrong with is adding any kind of manure that has NOT composted, you can burn your plant roots - not a good thing.

I don't believe 5 yards will go as far as you expect when spread over 1/3 acre. 135 cubic feet for 14520 square feet. If I did the math right, you'll have to spread this impossibly thin, just a bit less than 1/8 inch deep across the garden to get even coverage.

If 5 yards is what is budgeted, then I'd stockpile it and utilize other soil-building methods such as green-manure/cover crops. Apply the compost as you get closer to planting time, concentrating it in areas where heavy-feeding crops such as corn will be planted.

Wayne

You can supplement the compost with manure from horse barns...sometimes the farmers (or race tracks) like to give it away...and then this fall you can also use the chopped leaves to loosen up the clay, too....

(I'm certainly not an expert but this is what I've picked up on DG that might be useful to your situation.)

Like adkgardener says, five yards of compost is not a lot for 1/3 of an acre...

...

And you might want to check out this thread for more ideas for amendments...

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/513792/

PatriciaS, Gee I bring in 10 to 15 yards of compost each year on 1 acre. I have 2 1/2 acres but I leave 11/2 natural. I have a vegetable garden that I plant a cover crop of crimson clover and annual rye grass, I till that in in the spring. everything really responds well to all these amendments, and I don't think I'm overdoing it. lol hostajim1

Thank you so much! The fellow at the feed store made it sound like five yards was a huuuge amount, but I guess it isn't really. Soil like this, which hasn't ever been amended, I guess could take quite a bit more. I was thinking to till in the compost and plant a cover crop for the season, which we could plow under in the spring before planting our garden. The feed store person suggested OSB (organic soil builder) or winter pea to fix some nitrogen into the soil.

The woman with the disker will come out this weekend to look at the place. I have a call into the compost company people and will see what they recommend for the valley soil we have and how much the compost will cost.

Learning about country life is sure turning into an adventure for this suburban gal! This coming Friday -- the propane gets turned on! (There is SO much to learn!) Thankfully no more freezing showers!

Sounds like you're going to have fun. Where is your new property?

It's in a remote area of Northern California -- in Mendocino County -- about an hour away from the nearest stoplight! Not much in the way of amenities, but it sure is pretty. And it will be an education learning to live without the comfort of bring able to "run out and pick something up" from the thousands of stores we live near now! (To say nothing about figuring out how much five yards of compost is...)

Just the other night, I got to catch and release a frog who had gotten into the bedroom. We put up a hummingbird feeder and a hummingbird flew right up to us and checked us out! That would NEVER happen here. On the other hand, I found evidence that mice had been on every shelf in every room since the place was last inhabited. Now how do they get way up on shelves above my head? Guess I'll need to get a lot of glass storage jars!

I feel like Eddie Albert in Green Acres! "Land spreadin' out so far and wide, Keep Manhattan just give that countrysiiiiide!" ('Course I'll be a LOT happier when the propane tank works!)

Where are you now?

We lived in SF on 18 th Avenue for many years. Also in Walnut Creek. And then down to Pasadena. Our daughter lives in Presidio Heights on Clay. I guess I'm assuming you're in SF!

I remember many wonderful day trips up the Mendecino Coast. Wish we had explored more then, (and bought some property!). Wonderful little gourmand type farms up there. We get our cheese from the Cowgirl Creamery, and I'm thinking it's up your way, but maybe in Napa...

I look forward to following your progress. It would be a dream come true for me to live there. Although I don't know if I could survive being that far from a traffic light. Right now we are about 4 miles to a traffic light and that is pretty remote for us (and an adjustment from living in LA until two years ago!)

Good luck with your mice and manure! (How poetic!) Have fun. t.

Patricia, One thing that I didn't mention that I have used on new unamended soil and soil that is amended, is compost tea, it introduces a lot of beneficial microbes, bacteria. that turns the soil into that loam they talk about. if you are interested about the recipe I'll post it. hostajim1

Hostajim1, yes, thank you!

Tabasco, I grew up in the Bay Area, we're in Vacaville now. Love SF, though!