Welcome to GrowTogether Garden. Here are some first steps to get started:
Starting a new gardening bed:
We have created a good soil beginning for your beds with layers of topsoil, sand, and composted mulch. Now you need to make the soil come alive!
Please remember we are an organic garden, and we do not use chemicals in our beds.
Here is how to make your soil come ALIVE
Step 1
Depending on the space available at the top of your bed, you will want to fill it up with amendments within a couple of inches of these amendments:
Add in this order:
First, a few dozen worms if you can (just fishing worms available from most stores in town)
Steer manure (1 or 2 x 1 c.f. bag)
Amend (it comes in 2 x 2 c.f. bags) or some other soil conditioner. I added two bags to my bed as there was a pretty big gap.
Mushroom compost ( I added 4 x 1 c.f. bags)
Note: c.f. = cubic foot
Note: Alternative to purchasing amendments separately: Gro-well Organic Outdoor Raised Bed Mix. This is a more expensive solution but eliminates the need for the combination of amendments above (except the worms!). You can find it at R+K.
Step 2
After your bed is filled to within the top couple of inches of the brim:
ADD Azomite (a mineral powder because your soil needs minerals) up to 5 pounds. Rake or mix this into the top 3 inches of the soil.
Step 3
Then WATER DEEPLY.
Make holes in the bed with your trowel every 9 inches and fill them repeatedly (at least 3X) until the bed is saturated with water.
The bed needs to be wet from the bottom up for the soil to come to life and for the plant’s roots to have access to water.
The irrigation system we put in will maintain moisture but won’t be able to get the whole depth of the bed wet.
Step 4
When PLANTING STARTERS.
ADD a teaspoon or two in each planting hole (not needed for seeds) of Mykos Mycorrhizae Granular (2.2 lb)
Happy growing!