Here is the results of my soil test: pH: Neutral 7.0 Nitrogen: Very Low Phosphorous: Medium to High Potash: Very Low
Please keep in mind that 6-7 weeks ago I added 1 yr old manure-goat and chicken-to this garden. 1 full-size truck to a 20x15 area.
Obviously, I need to pull up that nitrogen but how is the potash? Does there need to be a lot in the soil? I was thinking that I could add a little bit of ashes to improve potash, if necessary. Can I have too much phosphorous?
This is for my veggie bed, I grow lots of tomatoes, peppers, and cucurbits. This year I will be adding okra, at least, that's the plan.
Also, I do have a nice sized compost pile going but it isn't going to be ready for a loooonnnnnggg time.
Thanks!!
Last edited by LandOfOz; Apr 11th, 2007 at 05:23 PM.
Thanks for the site, Longy. I have discovered my problem. Yeah, I just had to look and there it was: straw. Lots of it, just sitting there in my soil, sucking up all the available nitrogen. Best part, hubby tilled it all in, so I'm not going to be able to rake it out. ARG! How long does it take for straw to break down? Supposedly it's been sitting in a pile of goat/chicken poo for a year now... Sheesh. I've got another 2 weeks, probably, before I can plant anything out. Too bad it won't be gone by then.
Well another year and you'll be in great shape. Any chance you could start a new bed for this year and just use some of that garden soil that I've seen advertised?
Thanks for the site, Longy. I have discovered my problem. Yeah, I just had to look and there it was: straw. Lots of it, just sitting there in my soil, sucking up all the available nitrogen. Best part, hubby tilled it all in, so I'm not going to be able to rake it out. ARG! How long does it take for straw to break down? Supposedly it's been sitting in a pile of goat/chicken poo for a year now... Sheesh. I've got another 2 weeks, probably, before I can plant anything out. Too bad it won't be gone by then.
Well, you still just need to get some nitrogen into the soil. Pelletised Chicken manure will do this. Put lots in, a handful to a square yard or so. Potash can be added by putting in sulphate of potash. Plant a week later. No probs! The straw will break down quite quickly if it's tilled in. Esp if there is plenty of moisture.
Moisture, I've got. It's rained for 2 weeks straight, then a week of snowy weather, and everything is extremely wet. I'm so glad to hear that this has a relatively quick fix. Thanks so much!!
All I could find was composted chicken manure. So I used a 50 lb bag for 2 rows, 15 feet long. I also worked in some muriate of potash, or something like that. The lady swore up and down it's organic, I kept thinking, "yeah but that's not what longy said to get!" I then watered very well with some fish emulsion. I can definitely tell where I put the stuff, the dirt looks darker and there is a lot less straw poking out of the soil.
Do you think it would be too lazy of me to just buy a few more bags and make some big mounds of them, on top of the low-nitro soil, and plant my cukes, melons, etc in them and then plant something like clover on the open dirt? OR I have a friend whose got fresh duck and goose poo that I could add but how dangerous is that? Do they have the super-high nitro that chicken manure does? Could I let it sit a week or two and then be ready to plant? Sooo many questions, I'm sorry!
you will have to compost the duck and goose poo. but it is just as good as the chicken poo. i'd get all i could, pile it up in a corner, and let it go!
it won't be ready in a week or two, you'd have to use the composted stuff for this year, but next year, you'll be in good shape!
Thanks, Jiffy! I'll probably just toss it on my compost pile, it's got a lot of whole leaves in it which are taking their sweet time breaking down, and are also repelling the water. Not that I'm surprised by this, just annoyed. Maybe high-nitro source will break them down a little bit.
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