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Mon, Jul 18, 11 at 17:22
| I recently graded my lot with river sand and in some spots it can be 10-12" of sand on top of what was top soil.
What is the most economical way to prepare a garden bed worthy of vegetables? Rows or raised beds? If I simply brought in top soil and made rows, what should the depth of the rows be? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| "Top soil" is not a magic elixar. The definition of "top soil" is the top 4 to 6 inches of soil, so it can be anything and may not be what you want. The most economical way to make that soil into a good healthy soil is to add organic matter to it, compost, leaf mold, waste leaves, organic matter you can find for free. What you want to do is add enough organic matter to raise the level in that soil to between 5 and 8 percent. Even the best "top soil" you may be able to find will have only about 5 to 8 percent organic matter in it which means much less in your soil. |
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- Posted by BillyPotts40 none (My Page) on Tue, Jul 19, 11 at 9:14
| So I ca just add organic matter to the sand? And what mix ration would this ideally be? |
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- Posted by louisianagal z7bMS (My Page) on Tue, Jul 19, 11 at 11:02
| I would definitely go for raised beds, under your circumstances. For example, I have some raised beds and some are 8 inches and some are 12 inches, approximately. That is what is needed depending on what you are growing. For example, tomatoes in the deeper beds and lettuce (in the cool season) in shallower soil. That is fairly easy to do with defined raised beds. You could do rows where you added e.g. 12 inches just in discrete rows. I think the roots can spread better in the raised beds. Bottom line, the sand is not suitable for the growth of vegetables, and you would need a good bit of good soil over it. By the way, I'm from N.O. and lived there or in St. Bernard for 48 yrs. I was just there on vacation last week! |
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| The soil I have is Lake Michigan beach sand and all I have done is add organic matter, compost, shredded leaves, straw, cover/green manure crops (mostly Buckwheat and Field Rye) and slowly increased the humus level to 5 to 8 peercent and stuff grows prolifically. Soil is a combination of the mineral portion, the sand, silt, clay, and organic matter. The organic matter is the stuff the Soil Food Web lives on and they digest it which is why many people think it "disappears" and that is what mostly feeds the plants that grow in your soil. No matter what kind of soil you have it will need organic matter, added as needed. In sand that organic matter fills in the pore spaces so that water and nutrients are held in the soil. In clay soils that organic matter seperates the soil particles so both water and nutrients can move around better, and it changes the soil particles so they are not bound to the clay and not available to the plants. That organic matter in clay soils also opens up the soil so the plants roots can move around more freely in serach of water and nutrients. Sand, well amended with organic matter, will grow good vegetables. |
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- Posted by BillyPotts40 none (My Page) on Wed, Jul 20, 11 at 16:15
| What would you say the organic amtter to sand ratio is? |
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| answers to OP questions-- Yes, add the organic matter to the sand. Probably not more than 40% sand. Too much sand will drain too well letting water & nutrients flow right through. *Be sure your organic matter is free of herbicides like weed & feed products used on grass. |
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| You want to end up with and maintain a level of 5 to 8 percent organic matter in your soil, whether it is sand or clay. |
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