A garden is only as good as the ground that it's planted in. Discussion forum for the many ways to improve the soil where we plant our gardens.
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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Lilburn GA
Posts: 278
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I have 3yr old raised compost bed. I add 3-4 in of new compost each year to keep it 14 in deep. Should I till or not. If so how deep. Compost is made of hardwood leaves--coffee grounds--alfalfa--old potting soil-mix. Thanks Bill
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Bill |
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
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What kind of soil is underneath the raised bed?
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Lilburn GA
Posts: 278
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30 year old garden on Ga. clay base amended with natures helper (ground pine bark)--wheat straw-leaves(not much)--crimson and white clover winter cover in 3 yr. rotation. original forest land. drains well--holds moisture well.
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Bill |
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#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
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I would not bother tilling that. If you just keep adding compost
or layers of other organic matter on top, the worms should do it for you. At most I might turn it over a couple of weeks before transplanting if the white clover wants to stick around through the summer. The one exception would be if I wanted to thoroughly mix in some long-lasting soil amendment (lime, gypsum, rock phosphate, greensand, etc), and even then you would not need to do it annually.
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Oregon
Posts: 159
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Hi, Brog.
May I chime in? My beds are similar to yours. I normally do not till, but just keep adding a few inches every spring. This year (soon) I will till because I added a bunch of amendments and a bunch of soil. For the last two years now I dump a mix of coffee grounds (a hundred or so pounds!), llama manure, and leaves into my pathways. I fill this to even (after packing it down) with the level of my raised beds. I walk on this mix for a full year (while it breaks down). Then, I scoop it onto my raised beds. The beds get a 'candy coating' of amendments before I scoop the poop ![]() My amendments are approximately 2 parts alfalfa meal, 1 part kelp meal, 1 part hydrated lime/dolomite lime, 1 part steamed bone meal, 1 part potash/bat guano mixture, 1/4 part Epsom salt. Good luck with your choice! Michael P.S. Incidentally, by filling my paths this way, my raised beds require considerably less water during the growing season. The worms love it, and roots find their ways into it as well. I likes!
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Learning to speak tomato! Got compost? |
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Lilburn GA
Posts: 278
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Thanks Michael--Dice I`m ready for April 1st.
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Bill |
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#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Austin, TX Zone 8b
Posts: 531
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I have always had raised beds but I will never use a tiller because I'm not going to kill my earthworms but I do turn the the soil every season.
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#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Lilburn GA
Posts: 278
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Thanks Robin I don`t know for sure. but I`ve heard that tilling does not hurt earth worms. I am 76 years old and have 5 raised beds 60ft, by 3ft. I don`t say I can not turn that much by hand just that I not willing. I MAY in 20 or so years say I can not(BAD WORD)
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Bill |
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#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
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If you are unwilling to turn them, maybe only till after a white
clover winter cover crop. I have read that white clover competes heavily with other crops growing in it for water, which would be my concern. Then again, maybe 3 inches of compost on top of the clover is enough to repress it for the summer. I have not tried that, so I do not know if that works. Do you mow the crimson clover in spring when you have grown that over the winter?
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#10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Lilburn GA
Posts: 278
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In past years I weed eat the clover and use a hoe to work it into the top 3-4 in. then a good covering of compost over it. No red and very little white clover comes thru,I leave it if not in the way of planting. weed eating and covering 3 weeks before planting.
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Bill |
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#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 1,818
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My 2 cents worth hehe
You say it drains well and holds water well. IMO, those are two of the most important things in a raised bed. You're not working anything long lasting in there. Why mess with a good thing? Are you getting good yields?
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Barbee |
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#12 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
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#13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Lilburn GA
Posts: 278
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Thanks Dice I always value your input. Yes Barbee good production. I`m always trying to improve, I`ll find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow some day--GOD WILLING
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Bill |
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