Hi** today i built a garden box for my wife and she would like to start a small garden.* We would like to go with an organic garden and i am just wondering what i should fill the box with ... i need to know what type of soil to buy and do i use fertilizer or compoust, or what ?** I would like to get this finished asap.* If someone can help me get pointed in the right direction of creating a very good soil mixture it would be great.
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06-07-2008, 05:47 PM #1
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06-07-2008, 07:08 PM #2
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If you are going to grow flowers you can use a mix of garden soil 60% and compost aka humus 40%.* Your plants will love you for it.* With that mix you shouldn't need any fertilizer.
If you are growing veggies you can use the same mix.* Depending on what veggies youa are going to grow you can also add well composted manure.* Use organic fertilizer and not the synthetics.* If your box was built with wood it should NOT be with treated wood.* Here's some info on organic fertilizers.
http://www.geogrowersinc.com/howfertilizerworks.htm
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/c...ng_tables.html
http://www.extremelygreen.com/fertilizerguide.cfm
Here's a compost calculator you can also use for the soil so you know how much to purchase.
http://www.cedar-grove.com/calculator.asp
Newt
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
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06-08-2008, 05:34 AM #3
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do you recommend any one type of garden soil , and is humus carried at the home depots, menards etc..* or do i need to go to a garden center/ nursery?
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06-08-2008, 06:18 AM #4
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You can get garden soil at Home Depot, Lowes or any garden center.* Try and get one that is organic.* If you can't find one that is organic, look for one with humus added.* Just be sure whatever brand you but it doesn't have slow release fertilizer added as that is a synthetic fertilizer.
Newt
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
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06-08-2008, 06:46 AM #5
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the only organic garden soil mix i hav e seen is* the miracle grow mixture but i just read somewhere they use landfill refuse for that mix.* A couple people have complained that they have found glass and other stuff in there bags.** I am going to be heading to a garden center today in hopes of finding what you recommended.* Also i used composite wood for the box, as i know the treated lumber would leach stuff into the soil.* I did spend alot on the material but it will last a very long time.
*
Once again thanks for the help and i will be reading alot of forums on this site , cause i can already tell there is some very useful info on these baords.
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06-08-2008, 06:55 AM #6
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You are very welcome!!* I'd love to see the site where you read about the Miracle Gro use of landfill refuse.* Maybe they use sludge aka biosolids.
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/fac...html#biosolids
I have concerns with that due to the high metal and drug residues.* Sludge should never be used in a veggie garden.
Newt
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
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