|
Fri, May 13, 11 at 16:35
| So, I pulled all the weeds & worked the dirt in my overflow bed to house 5 tomato plants & a spaghetti squash. I've also gotten a bag of steer manure to help improve the dirt since the bed's been vacant of anything but weeds for years. But, after digging 3 of the holes today & filling them up w/ water to moisten the area, I discovered that the holes aren't draining. After a couple hours the water isn't much lower than when I filled it! I planned on filling the holes w/ improved dirt/compost but hadn't anticipated the holes never draining. What would you do? My current plan is to keep watering the holes & trying to dig deeper & wider holes (obviously very hard dirt) to improve the drainage over the next couple days. Unfortunately the rest of my tomato plants were planted 3+ weeks ago so these last ones are getting quite root bound. What else would you suggest - other than relocating. No other space. Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by ncdirtdigger 7b (My Page) on Fri, May 13, 11 at 19:19
| Bring in more soil and make a raised bed on the site. |
|
- Posted by gardenmommy_2010 CA (My Page) on Fri, May 13, 11 at 20:33
| That is my eventual plan - a raised bed in that location since the rest of my garden is raised beds. But, I don't see DH going for that right now. I am wondering, if I take out the top foot of dirt in the whole area (or half of the dirt) and mix w/ steer manure & purchased garden dirt & then amend it w/ a composting idea (throw in some grass clippings, & some coffee grounds) mulch on top and then plant my plants would that help me now? Or would the area compost & cook the tomato plants rather than just provide nutrients? Thanks for suggestions. |
|
| What you may need to do this year is grow your plants in containers and work organic matter into the soil there so that maybe next year it will drain fairly well. If you put in that area that soil mix you will have a soil that could move water fairly well until the water meets the original soil and that is how people create a bathtub in theeir gardens. The difference in soils can create a place where water will not flow. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Bathtub effect
|
- Posted by gardenmommy_2010 CA (My Page) on Sat, May 14, 11 at 15:35
| Okay, this may be a dumb question but I'm fairly new to gardening & soils so just stick w/ me. So, if I amend the about 1 foot of soil that I've worked & do something like the sheet composting where I throw in shredded newspaper, coffee grounds, grass clippings ect & then cover w/ existing dirt & mulch will that then do it's thing so next year's dirt will be better suited to planting? Thanks! |
|
- Posted by jonhughes So.Oregon (jonehughes@hotmail.com) on Sat, May 14, 11 at 16:59
| Hi gardenmommy, A whole bunch of things will eventually work (you have been given solid advice and your own reasoning's are valid also... That being said, I wouldn't want to wait.... If I were you, I would go to the rental store and rent an auger (I own one and possibly a nice neighbor of yours does too), and I would run that thing down until your entire bed was 3' deep (no bathtub effect at that depth)and then mix in some compost and you are planting by the end of the day, and your other beds will be jealous of their younger sibling ;-)
|
|
- Posted by gardenmommy_2010 CA (My Page) on Sat, May 14, 11 at 21:03
| Jon, Thanks for the advice. I'll look into that as I'd really like to plant as I'd planned. |
|
- Posted by nancyjane_gardener USDA 8ish No CA (My Page) on Sat, May 14, 11 at 21:25
| Gardenmommy, I don't know where you are in CA, but I'm in Sonoma Co where we have solid adobe! I have been building raised beds (1 or 2 per year) for awhile and now have about 6 4x8 or 3x6 beds plus a couple of 3x3s to throw into the mix. I know about those holes that won't drain!!!!!!! I suggest raised beds for now, and compost the heck out of anywhere you want to plant in the future! I move my compost box each year after emptying it and the ground is just lovely! I have t have raised beds due to the gophers, but I have seen great improvement in the soil when I spread the compost out. Good luck! Nancy |
|
- Posted by piedmontnc 7b-8 (My Page) on Sun, May 15, 11 at 17:13
| I am wondering, if I take out the top foot of dirt in the whole area (or half of the dirt) and mix w/ steer manure & purchased garden dirt & then amend it w/ a composting idea (throw in some grass clippings, & some coffee grounds) mulch on top and then plant my plants would that help me now? Sounds like a constructed wetland in the making with your description of the natural soil drainage. |
|
- Posted by purpleinopp 8b AL (My Page) on Tue, May 17, 11 at 18:55
| The top foot of dirt is usually as good as it gets. The deep hole idea is good. You can use something like a dandelion fork or big screwdriver to poke even farther into the bottom of the holes, making a bunch of tiny holes, easy spots for roots to get DOWN. If you can slowly moisten an area the day before you dig, it will be a lot easier. Put a thin layer of small rocks in the bottoms of the holes. Use the garden dirt you mentioned in the holes you dig. Use the other amendments on top, around but not touching the plants. About the mulch, I think it's harder when it is done first, and lots of it gets lost in the dirt, where it doesn't need to be. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Soil Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.