Now that I am really trying to build up my soil and not flush out the good nutrients with synthetic fertilizers I really needed some professional help. Ronnie from The Small Town Gardener sent me a message with what he does, and I could see it being useful in my garden. Here is what he wrote me:
RONNIE: OK here is what i do to my beds I also buy store bought compost and buy manure from local farms ( you can find them pretty easy on craigslist just search manure) but do not use wood chips in the soil only on top of the soil when it started getting hot because wood chips need nitrogen to break down and they will rob your plants of it if it is in the soil..as for the amendments I use in the bed I use
dolomite lime I buy mine from the farm and feed store but you can find it most places but make sure its Dolomite lime and not Hydrated lime Hydrated lime .. is the wrong stuff I have seen people use it but it is for your yard Trust me I did that before I learned the difference please never use hydrated lime in the garden ... it causes more harm than good.....put that bag far away from your garden beds. use it on your lawn and it will be great for that but not your veggies
the thing with lime in a vegetable garden is you need a 2:1 ratio...2 parts lime : 1 part magnesium..... that's what dolomitic lime is. It's that combination that works properly for a garden /plant situation. always keep in mind you always need magnesium to break the lime into a plant happy form. That’s why so many people think that adding Epsom salts to the soil is a great idea ... what they don't realize it's the combination of whatever lime or calcium naturally present in the soil that really does the trick...it's not just the Epsom salt alone that is showing results... most soils have plenty of calcium present ... even the worst soils have natural calcium present . that does not mean you don’t need Epsom salt I am just saying that its not the only thing working its magic
first off I add 4-5 cups of dolomite lime to by beds about a week or so before I start planting that way it has some time to start its breaking down process then when I am ready to plant I use espoma garden tone 2 cups(I buy mine at home depot 10 bucks a bag)... a little bit of Epsom salts(magnesium) 1/2 cup ( I get this at Walmart for 3 bucks a bag ,and just a tiny bit of dry molasses 1/4 cup ( this I also get at the farm and feed store it is about 10 bucks a bag here and a tiny bit of rock phosphate 1/4 cup ( I also buy this at the farm feed store its about 20 bucks a bag for a 50 pound bag ... 1/4 cup dolomite lime...and 2 cups green sand ( green sand has many trace minerals and helps keep the soil from compacting read up on its benefits you will be amazed!! this I also get at the farm and feed store it is very cheap at 10 bucks for a 50 pound bag mix all this together in a 5 gallon bucket.... add 50% compost. Put 2 cups of this mix in the planting hole. dig it around a bit this will work with everything you plant them in..... then middle of the year do the same thing just scratch the amendments around the plants into the soil about 4 inches from the base of the stalk as for compost tea I try and use it once a week I have a video on how i make mine and its very simple also when its done brewing sometimes I add fish emulsion I don’t like adding it while its brewing because it stinks and the cats love it and will try and drink it ...also once a week I like to take my sprayer ( one gallon sprayer I bought at home depot for 10 bucks) and mix a few tablespoons of unsulfered molasses and water from my rain barrel and spray the plants with it you can also do the same with Epsom salt and water just make sure its not tap water if you have to use tap water let it set out over night before using it I know this sounds like a lot but its not the amendments are a once a year purchase of about 50 bucks but if you look at the cost of something like miracle grow for the year which is what I used in the past it cost me almost 150 dollars and it didn’t do nearly as well and it kills the soil this way you are adding lots of beneficial amendments back to the soil and you will notice how rich your soil will be and how green your plants are ..and as for things like dynamite mater magic there will be no need for this if you use the things I listed now for things like bone meal and blood meal that is fine to add as well it wont hurt anything it will also add to the soil just read the package on those and add them when you are adding the dolomite lime the week or so before planting........hope this helps you if you have any questions just let me know I am no expert I am just telling you what I use and so far I am extremely happy with how things are growing here.
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