Preparing for spring… HELP?
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I have a garden I started last year but I honestly had no idea what I was doing and the yield was modest. It's about mid march and winter is almost over here in RI and I was wondering if any of you men knew what I should do to prepare the land for spring. Should I start doing something to it now or should I wait till spring? DoI need to put fertilizer or compost in it? I really have no idea so thanks for any helpful information!
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Raw manure {fresh from the cow or horse} needs to be done in the fall and mixed into the ground and let sit til spring. You can't plant anything in the area that you apply it, otherwise it will burn the roots. When spring comes, fork over the ground and then water it and let it sit for another week. It should be ok to use now.
Manure from the garden centers {usually referred to as "well rotted"} can be used now if the ground is soft enough to mix it in. You can spread it now even if the ground is frozen, but just make sure you mix it in when the ground is soft.
Compost is best to put on in the fall and again in the spring.
Have you done a soil PH test? You really should do it so you know if you need to add any thing to balance the PH levels.
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There is much that can be done prior to planting. The big issue for you, though, seems to be how to improve yield. This may sound silly, but are you getting enough sunlight? Consider, too, drainage. Does water tend to pool? To be sure, soil composition is important. Be sure it is well tilled. If you are not seeking a totally organic garden, don't forget to add fertilizer.
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Tilling or forking won't help in a lot of cases because you are just messing with the same crap soil. You'll need to add something to your soil to improve it.
Builders sand {slightly big grains that beach sand} is good for heavy clay soils.
Soil that drains too fast needs some clumpy compost added to retain some of the moisture.
We used to rent {now we own} a portable cement mixer and do a 50/50 mix with the current soil and light compost. Dig out the area you want to prepare and then throw 1 shovel of soil to 1 shovel of compost in. Use that to refill the area you just dug up. We do this every year with the help of the neighbor kids.
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Thanks for all the info, guys. Been a while. Good information though. My garden has gotten much better.
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Don't Forget to use a compost bin to recicle dead leaves cuttings etc… you can also search species that enrich poor soils
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It's good to use mineral fertilizers ( NPK ) in autumn, when the leaves start falling. Plants need phosphorus and potassium for spring activity.
