Vegetable Garden Near Line of Shade Trees?

[JackF]

Steve,will you be firing over the garden? I have read and heard from good sources that all plants have feelings and shooting over them with a lethal weapon may frighten them to death.


Jack.

[SteveHGraham]

I refuse to tolerate snowflake plants.

[benshell]

Steve, you ask about replacing dirt... what about adding it? One of the first things my wife and I did when we bought our house was build a raised garden area. It took 25 yards of soil to fill (mostly screened topsoil, then a layer of planting mix on the top) but it was well worth it. Of course, my motivations for the project were not entirely garden focused:



See more on Flickr

[SteveHGraham]

I have built a raised bed, and it definitely works, but my feeling is that there is no point in building the ground up with wooden barriers that will eventually disintegrate when I can just get rid of the bad dirt and replace it.

Whether that is correct or not...different question.

[Russ Hanscom]

After your back gets less flexible, the advantages of raised beds become more obvious. Wait for the local lumber store to have a sale on cull pressure treated wood

[SteveHGraham]

I was hoping to use a tractor. I don't think a raised bed will tolerate that.

[Russ Hanscom]

Several options for cultivating a raised bed. Build a ramp at one end for the tractor, or, I bought an electric rototiller which is quite adequate for modest beds.

[steamin10]

My neighbor has a bedding tool that goes behind his tractor. After ground is prepped by rotovating, he drags this contraption over the ground, and it sccops soil into about a 30 inch level bed, maybe 6-8 inches high. Following discs on the machine bury the lower edges of black plasti ground sheet over the bed. Planting consists of cutting a circle or an Xn the sheet, and they grow happily in the soils warmed by the black plastic, and wee free. Something like a foot of isle exists between the bed rows. the plastic has rain holes punched in it, to drain water that collects, and it is pulled off and discarded at the end of the season.

My garden is much smaller, so I use the news print and straw mulch method.

[SteveHGraham]

It sounds like that tool would just pile up the existing bad dirt instead of replacing it.

[steamin10]

It is a tool of simple drag and level design. Please read what I stated before. We have a soil that is sand based, that is high in humas, or rotted vegatation. Wood chips, and straw, are basic to keeping the soil moist and loose. Planting rye seed and then turning it under when half grown is knwn as 'green manure' for gardens. It enhances the Nitrogen, (amonia) in the soil. We use plant starts from georgia, and Alabama that are several weeks ahead in the growing season, and transplant them with a root dip of Urea, that gives them a big boost. We have a tank of wheels that we not only can side dress the rows but put a lb or two of fertilzer in the water to give the dry plants an extra kick. It does not take much help to keep plants growing in dry speels quite well. they need the water late when it comes time to set fruit. It is constant care, but can be rewarding with 6 weeks of harvesting.

It is a mindset to nurture and aid nature, without heavy chemicalising.

[ctwo]

I agree with loads of manure and compost and working the soil to improve it. Of course pick out the rocks and gravel and make some stone fencing or divides, decorate your walkways sort of thing...