Just finished working hard - garden stories wanted

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Just finidhed working what seems like way to hard for some new vegitable beds for the kitchen. (as opposed to my market garden) I ended up having to dig down and screen the dirt for 12+ inches, since I have heavy clay soil with a nice layer of rocks between 6 and 10 inches. After getting that done, I layered 160 lbs of compost, 160 lbs of manure (cow), four inches of peat moss, and what dirt came out the bottom of my screen. It's just beautiful looking out at my two new 4 X 4 beds, and I only wish the other two were done! I've spent my spare time for a week on the two that I just finished. Did get pea's and spicach planted, though!

What are your stories, both horrible and enviable of garden preperation for that first time??

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), March 14, 2001

Answers

Marty, when I got married 28+ years ago, I was from the city-never had any room to grow anything and never lived in one place long enough to enjoy the art of growing things! Well, I married a country boy and moved to the country (something I have ALWAYS wanted to do). My first spring I decided to plant flowers for cutting and making arrangements for my home. I read everything I could find to 'learn' how to grow things. Made neat little rows, in the clay. Planted rows and rows of seeds. and waited and waited and waited. Seems the clay had turned to brick. I had to use the 'pick-ax' to break the ground with! Needless to say I started to work on adding compost to the soil!!!Now it's a wonderful rich soil but it has taken lots of work, sweat and tears to get it where it is today. Don't give up and good luck

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), March 14, 2001.

I jealous Marty. I still have at least 6 inches of snow on the ground.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), March 14, 2001.

I'm jealous too.... We have no topsoil, and hubby isn't finished with all my planters yet!!!!

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), March 15, 2001.

Hi everyone! Last spring I was eager to get out there and do something in the dirt, and I made a very foolish mistake.....I turned a big portion, 10 x 20', in my bare feet. The soil felt wonderful, the sun was calling me.....it took 8 months for the pain in the arch of my foot to go away. What was I thinking?? (We still have plenty of snow yet, but soon I'll start some seedlings!)

-- Cathy in NY (hrnofplnty@yahoo.com), March 15, 2001.

It isn't quit warm enough here to work the ground yet, but when I do, I have alot of work to do!! The spot for the garden is full of stuff..like cans. The person that owned the land before we did thought tin cans would help enrich the soil...so we have been pulling them out for awhile now. I have arthritis so have been thinking about the huge grow bags. I want a raised garden but funds are tight since we haven't gotten the old house sold yet. If I get those bags, I can put them in this perfect garden spot on top of the soil. That way I can work out those cans slower. I am moving my birds (ducks and chickens) from the front yard to the back. That ground would be wonderful if it wasn't mostly rock..sigh..in spots, the soil that is there is nice. I guess I can plant some nice flowers there.

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), March 18, 2001.


Just came in from finishing two 4 x 12 raised beds. We're in a former flood plain so it's mostly sand. Mixed in a big bale of peatmoss, about 6 cu ft of last years compost batch, about an hour stirring things up with the mantis and tomorrow , in go the taters. Sounds like your working soil not unlike some wisconsin gardens i've known intimately,marty. Have fun !

-- jz (oz49us@yahoo.com), March 18, 2001.

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