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| Okay, so say I have a bed(ground level, not raised) that was tilled a few years back...heavy clay soil, there are some things growing there now, but plenty of area to fill in and the plants are still somewhat young, but compost was never added. I want to add more plants to the bed over time, but I want them to thrive. Should I just lay a bunch of compost on the ground around everything and let nature take its course or should I till it in and risk damaging the roots of the plants that are already there? Also, if you have compost that isn't all the way finished, but mostly consists of clumps and balls(I use a tumbler) would it be okay to just toss it around the bed and let the earthworms sort it out if I want to hurry up and start another batch? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by buckstarchaser 5 MI (My Page) on Sat, Sep 29, 12 at 13:44
| I have only just completed my second year of purposeful gardening and am preparing for my third. I have run into a similar problem, but I think I've worked it out. With my garden, I planted most everything in it because it was the only place that had stable moisture and I didn't have enough amendments to distribute amongst other areas. Now that it's fall I want to get a truckload of compost and rent a tiller to incorporate it, but there were some perennial sage and thyme plants still in the bed. I transplanted the sage and thyme plants to their final location, which is drier than the main garden and so is a more appropriate place for them. This leaves the garden open for whatever I want to do with it. If I wanted to move the plants back later, I could have put them in pots or whatever. Letting a few young plants stop the entire plan seems absurd now that I have found an easy alternative. |
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| You can improve the soil with a well made compost . I usually sprinkle it on top as a mulch if the plants are in place, but next year I would recomend you mix it in deep throughout the soil. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Composting Basics
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| If you're going to add compost to the soil, it should be finished - no plant material should be seen. You can, however, add the compost to the top of the soil like a mulch and let it break down in place. I'd rather finish the composting process in the pile, and just keep a layer of organic mulch on the soil. The mulch will break down over time and work its way into the soil. |
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| If you have a lot of plants and it would be difficult to temporarily dig them up in order to til the bed I would just amend as new plants are added and top-dress with compost. Top-dressing does improve soil when done regularly. When we originally made our perennial beds we tilled various amendments in but since then I usually just top-dress with compost. This year because I have an abundance of fine bark mulch I layered that on top of the compost. Sometimes I have mixed compost with soil in the planting hole but always also add alfalfa pellets as I'm not sure the compost is really finished. At times I bury kitchen scraps between plants for the worms and soil organisms to decompose. I've found that is a very good way to improve the soil. |
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- Posted by novascapes none (My Page) on Sat, Sep 29, 12 at 22:28
| Till vs No-till gardening cut and paste into google and you can spend the night reading. I have done both successfully. Tilling into the soil speeds up the process because you are adding air into the soil which increases microbial life. But at the same time all that extra life eats up the organics more rapidly. Applying the organics to the top is slower but builds the soil more naturally and is considered to be more ecologically friendly. When it rains it makes compost tea. When it is dry it acts as a mulch. As far as the roots are concerned, as long as you are careful and keep your distance then a few cut roots will rebound quickly and may even encourage more root growth. Since you are in clay I would suggest applying from the top unless you have very good drainage. You don't want to create the bucket effect. Something else to consider. If your plants are doing well then digging around them may change that. "If it isn't broke don't fix it." |
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| Compost, and other forms of organic matter, would be what that soil needs. Start now with a good reliable soil test from a good soil testing lab, and follow up with these simple soil tests to see where you are now and what you need to do to make that soil better. 1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. The link will take you to an episode of Growing a Greener World, a series that Joe Lampl does a very good job explaning many things we need to know. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Growing a Greener World
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| Having earthworms is okay, but not have them means little if anything. If you are tilling, then you can add raw leaves or organic matter to the soil & till it in. This is the term sheet composting. I know some newer gardeners use sheet composting as a no-till term, but it was used by organic gardeners for years, when tilling, before it was hijacked. If you do no-till garden, then the compost/organic matter does not need to be composted, but it will not be available for sometime. If it is food for plants & not mulch then it should be finished compost. |
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