Is it possible to vitalize sterile soil?

Last fall we bought a new house, excited about the double lot and the gardening possibilities we saw. As we began to dig around in the dirt, we found that the dirt was void of all organic matter, crumbly, and not a worm to be found. . .anywhere. At first we thought that we would just have to spend a while, a long while, adding organic matter and such and everything would be fine. I thought that the soil was so bad because of years of sprayed fertilizers and weed killers. Then, we talked to the former owner, and found that the soil we were looking at is probably the soil that came from under the house when the basement was dug. Would we be better off hauling in top soil and building up, or would it be possible to revitalize the sterile soil that we have been blessed with? :) How would we do it?

Thanks!
Shanda

It sounds like you've got subsoil with no nutrients or organic material in it. That's not so bad IF it's not full of rocks, poisoned with chemicals, or has so much clay you could bake bricks from it.

If it's not too rocky, if you have no reason to suspect contamination, and if it's loose enough you can shovel it around when it's dry, it's probably a good starting point. You'll have to till in lots and lots of compost, then I'd get a soil test to see what nutrients it needs. With a soil test, they'll tell you exactly how many pounds of what to add per 1000 square feet.

I think the first thing I'd do is try it. Fill a big pot with 2/3rds soil mixed with 1/3rd bagged compost and mix in a little combination fertilizer. Plant something in the pot and see how it does - that would save you wasting time and money if the soil is in fact ruined by weed killer or something.

This message was edited Jul 28, 2007 11:42 PM

Along with Ozarks excellent suggestions ....what did you have in mind for your gardening possibilities? I'd say a lot of what you want to plant will depend on that.

A lot of municipalities are taking their tree clippings and mulching them - that would be a good place to get truckloads full of organic matter. But I'd really make sure you have a plan in mind before having someone come and just dump a load or more - it's easy to get overwhelmed at the beginning of a large project. Have you already got your hardscape (sidewalks, any out buildings/ pergolas/ fencing, etc.) in? Some of that would save you spreading compost in an area that will have a tool shed on top of it.

Just thoughts, hope it is helpful!

Thanks for your thoughts and encouragement. The soil is relatively free of rocks, except for the brick walk ways we keep uncovering, and has very little clay in it. The previous owner grew a few perennials and roses and bushes in it. . .we are wanting to put in raised beds for vegetables. We tilled up a few areas and tilled in as much compost, chopped alfalfa, and peat as we could , and put out a few things to see what would happen. We grew a crop of onions that were half the size we usually get, but, the few tomatoes we put out are doing great, though we put them out late and still haven't eaten a one. The couple of squash plants are moving along, so we'll see about them as well. I like the idea of picking up more organic matter from the city when they start "munching" leaves in the fall, and we have decided to wait for one more year to build the raised beds and spend all next summer planting and tilling in cover crops. We'll do the soil testing and adjusting at that point, and see what happens. It'll set us back a year, but, I suspect it will pay off in the end.

Thanks for the advice. . .Shanda

I'm having great luck in a bed I made this spring by layering saved, bagged fall leaves with cruddy soil from foundation dig, and a little urea fertilizer. I have butternut squash doing better than I 've ever had it.