Friday, January 13, 2006
As a Community Gardener, I Should Be Feeding the Soil?
"Feed the soil, not the plants."
Vegetable gardening success really is a combination of soil, sun, and moisture. Totem Town gets plenty of sun. We also get plenty of great Midwestern rain, supplemented by our watering system. But what about the soil?
Each year, we till, rake, and "fuss" with the upper few inches of soil to accept our plants and seeds. But what are we doing to prepare the soil itself? Growing plants need and remove nutrients from the soil. As community gardeners we have the responsibility to replenish these nutrients.
Some gardeners do this organically and others use synthetically.
If you are spending money on fertilizers and plant food, consider using compost.
Since we share our space with the Ramsey County compost site, there is usually an
abundance of it available in the spring during planting season.
There are several ways gardeners do this:
1) after spreading around plot the compost is tilled into the soil
2) add compost to their planned rows or single plant spots before turning soil
3) side dress plants with compost (this also acts as a mulch to retain moisture and
keep weeds down)
4) blend it into their raised bed soil building
Is anyone making compost tea?
Compost advantages:
- free
- helps build structure to the soil
- helps hold water
- adds organic matter
- supplies slow release nutrients and micronutrients
- helps immobilize pesticides from readily moving through soil and in water
Some gardeners are concerned about the debris found in the compost. The County does chemical analyses on the compost. Check with the garden manager for details.
The Totem Town garden is making compost in the bins at the southeast corner of the garden.
Check them out!
For more information on healthy soil, see Secrets to Great Soil, Elizabeth Stell, 1998. It is available at the Saint Paul Public Library.
(soil profile from USDA website) ¶ 12:57 PM
"Feed the soil, not the plants."
Vegetable gardening success really is a combination of soil, sun, and moisture. Totem Town gets plenty of sun. We also get plenty of great Midwestern rain, supplemented by our watering system. But what about the soil?
Each year, we till, rake, and "fuss" with the upper few inches of soil to accept our plants and seeds. But what are we doing to prepare the soil itself? Growing plants need and remove nutrients from the soil. As community gardeners we have the responsibility to replenish these nutrients.
Some gardeners do this organically and others use synthetically.
If you are spending money on fertilizers and plant food, consider using compost.
Since we share our space with the Ramsey County compost site, there is usually an
abundance of it available in the spring during planting season.
There are several ways gardeners do this:
1) after spreading around plot the compost is tilled into the soil
2) add compost to their planned rows or single plant spots before turning soil
3) side dress plants with compost (this also acts as a mulch to retain moisture and
keep weeds down)
4) blend it into their raised bed soil building
Is anyone making compost tea?
Compost advantages:
- free
- helps build structure to the soil
- helps hold water
- adds organic matter
- supplies slow release nutrients and micronutrients
- helps immobilize pesticides from readily moving through soil and in water
Some gardeners are concerned about the debris found in the compost. The County does chemical analyses on the compost. Check with the garden manager for details.
The Totem Town garden is making compost in the bins at the southeast corner of the garden.
Check them out!
For more information on healthy soil, see Secrets to Great Soil, Elizabeth Stell, 1998. It is available at the Saint Paul Public Library.
(soil profile from USDA website) ¶ 12:57 PM
