Garden bed redo!

This year i am diggin up half of my yard and redoing all the soil. Ive got it all planned out. I am going to have manure brought in. Im gonna buy compost by the bag. and im gonna pick up bags of grass clippings from the curbside in Manistee. And gather tons of maple leaves shreaded/mulched from piles at my cabin. Spread it all about 4 to 6 inches and till it all in.

ITs gonna be so great!!!! CAnt wait to see that dark soil in my yard.
michelle

Ah, nice to see another composting, soil improving addict!! LOL Go GURL!!!

the plants are cryin for it! Im not looking forward to the replanting though. I can never fit it all back it where it came from.

I think I'm an addict, too. In this last two months, I have been thoroughly enjoying filling my containers with decomp and a potting mix topper. At the beginning of last winter, I filled containers with decomp leaves, grass, coffee grinds, and table scraps (my basic compost mix). The mix "overwintered" in place. When I went to replant the containers I just moved back a layer of not-quite-broken-down leaves, and to my delight, the decomp below was ready for planting in. So, I just topped it off with a 3-4" layer of potting mix and put the plants in. They start off in the potting mix, and as the roots go deeper, they encounter the organic mix below for nutrients.

Somebody please tell me if this makes sense or should I be doing something different? Also, I'm about to start spraying the entire yard with Becky's Recipe (an organic fertilizer from over in the hoyas forum). This'll be my first experiment with this method, so let me know as soon as you can. Thanks!

My wife and I are planning on "redoing" our Vegetable garden also. We started a couple of compost piles last spring, that already made it to the garden spot in the fall. Not nearly enough for the size of the garden. We are fighting hard pan, high pH and little to no plant material in the soil.

The plan is to work-in about a 4 to 6 inch layer of compost across the entire garden spot. We are also starting a second garden spot which with be cover cropped, then alternate between the two from one year to the next.

As for the hight pH, as soon as I find a source for sulfur we will amend the soil for this year so that we will have something to show from our garden.

Gymgirl, your choice of soil for your containers makes so much sense too me. I've read all the blurbs in that thread and it seems to me, all they are doing is planting in a sterile, non organic medium with chemicals to feed the plants. I just don't get it. No way would I think about doing that with veggies and I can see how flowers would be healthy in that environment either. I'm just don't get it.

Doccat5,
I actually took my cue from two things said in the soil and composting forum. 1) Whenever something falls to the ground in the forest, nobody comes to rake it up or otherwise "amend" the soil in the forest. It stays right where it falls, breaks down, and fertilizes what's growing in it -- and the forest grows just fine. 2) If it was ever once alive, it's ok for the decomp pile and will break down into more decomp. I stopped tossing the huge spent camelia blooms that were falling all over the patio. Now, I just grab 'em and toss 'em right back into the bottom of the huge container the bush is in, cause that's where they would be if the bush was in the forest. And they'd break down and fertilize that bush. And it would keep on going. Same thing with the leaves. Right back into the pot onto the compost pile til I need em.

Also, I'm investing in a nice compact compost sifter. PRICELESS. I filled my entire trellis bed with sifted compost and it is the finest stuff you ever wanted to play in! And the plants are thriving there. Same mix as in my previous post.

The only thing I'm concerned about it my soil less potting mix topper. The only reason I use it is to give some starting medium for any seeds I direct sow. Seems they need to go into some sort of "soil?" type medium. Any comment on this would be much appreciated. I probably could put a fine layer of light soil or even just go with the sifted compost as the top layer, and go with the medium grade (almost but not quite broken down) compost to fill the bulk of the container. LMK what you think. Thanks again for the affirmation! A newbie with a game plan! I'm LIKIN' IT!

I think I'm gonna start a forum called "Sow Easy Gardening!"

I don't do a large amount of containers, but I do use medium grade compost for the bulk and top dress with some bagged top soil. I'm also using Bokashi at least on my houseplants for now. I am very IMPRESSED. I have 4 Christmas Cacti that are blooming like crazy after giving them a drink of the "juice". Highly diluted and still righteous....
I should have enough soon to start spraying the yard.