Forum home Talkback
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Talkback: How to improve your soil

It's February in Detroit, MI USA and both my compost pile (three, actually) and my soil are still frozen. Nonetheless, it has been my habit to mulch heavily in the fall, dig this in as the weather warms and apply fresh compost (or other mulch, if I am short on compost) as soon as all the seeds have shown themselves. During the growing season, I try to keep a 2-4" layer of mulch at all times. To conserve water, I use a weep irrigation system (Tyvek tubing) and bury it beneath the mulch.
«1

Posts

  • I have recently uncovered the compost bin from 2007 - it is now ready to use and having read the article I must get out there this weekend and start revitalizing my raised beds before the sowing season begins.
  • could also just leave the compost on the surface if applied in winter ,frosts and worms will break it up.
  • I get all my mulch from woodland horticultural, they've been really helpful in giving me advice as well. The website is http://www.woodlandhp.co.uk
  • forgot to mention that walking on wet clay soil damages the soil structure. never work on wet soil! also, light soils get lighter if dug excessively (what caused the dust bowl of kentucky).
  • Does anyone else have big problems with those supposedly compostable rubbish bags? I have just opened two of my compost bins and it looks like they are full of plastic bags! They've hardly begun to rot down at all and my compost looks horrible. Am now faced with sieving the lot or not using the bins this year and with my horrible clay, it will be sorely missed.
  • Hi Cathyflitter. I don't use the bags at all. I have a small bin in the kitchen where I put what will go in the compost bin. I empty it every day in the compost bin. And it works very well for me!

    Thanks for the article.
  • M1keM1ke Posts: 1

    Hi Adam. I found one other article about <a title="Garden maintenance" href="http://www.gracefulgarden.co.uk" target="_blank">garden maintenance</a> soil improving, which is in a bit different then your. Have a look http://www.gracefulgarden.co.uk/index.php?page=soil_improving

  • Peat BPeat B Posts: 441

    I have just found an inexhaustable supply of horse manure. Gurt steaming mountains of it ! I haven't decided whether to plop it direct onto the soil to about 2 or 3 inches or 50 to 75mm deep and let nature take it's course. After due deliberation, I am putting the stuff in a manure heap. It looks good steaming away, and smells 'righteous' ! By the time it is  'cooked' through, it will be the autumn 2012, and ready to serve to the worms.   God ! How  I LOVE this job ! 

  • I have found it useful to mulch my front garden with fallen leaves and sometimes hedge trimmings especially in the Autmn. (I have fairly heavy clay soil). I have not dug this in this year and have found that a 6" layer of fallen leaves is an excellent weed suppressor. Possibly the worms will get busy as the soil warms up - I am all for saving sweat and toil!
  • I've only started gardening about two years ago when I moved into my current house. I have been slowly improving my heavy clay soil as i clear each bed but i'm not sure how to approach this 'digging in compost' idea as i've already got bulbs in there that i don't want to disturb... Any suggestions?

Sign In or Register to comment.