Outdoor Garden, Soil Ammendments?

I want to plant an outdoor garden this year. I got a new tiller and tilled up my patch for my garden. I'm planning on some tomatoes, corn, cantaloupe, watermelon, broccoli, squash, lettuce, and cucumbers.The soil is very rich but it packs down pretty tight almost like clay. What should i add to it to loosen it up? do people ever add perlite to outside gardens? i have some miracle grow top soil and potting mix all mixed together, can i add that? I'm planning on adding some compost but that is also a heavy soil.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

i forgot to mention, i tilled the grass into the garden bed. Should i spray it with something to kill the grass? how long do i have to wait after spraying to plant my seeds? i'm starting all my seeds except for the corn indoors.

i know exactly what you're talking about. that's topsoil, and it is very good soil to grow in. but as you mention, it compacts very easily. i'd use some perlite. to me, it's not as important if you're not growing weed though, lol. don't worry about the grass, although it may start growing again...

ill mention this cuz it may add some insight to the soil. My garden patch is in a field about 50 yards from a river.

tburton12345 said:

I want to plant an outdoor garden this year. I got a new tiller and tilled up my patch for my garden. I'm planning on some tomatoes, corn, cantaloupe, watermelon, broccoli, squash, lettuce, and cucumbers.The soil is very rich but it packs down pretty tight almost like clay. What should i add to it to loosen it up? do people ever add perlite to outside gardens? i have some miracle grow top soil and potting mix all mixed together, can i add that? I'm planning on adding some compost but that is also a heavy soil.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

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If I were you, I would look into growing in a raised bed. Just build a box out of 2 x 6's or 2 x 12's a foot or two tall, no more than 4 feet wide, and as long as you want. A great soil mix is 1/3 compost, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 peat moss. I can promise you that your garden plants will love this setup and soil mix.

Yeah, go ahead and mix in some perlite. You should test the soil really, so you know exactly where it is lacking. At that point you can mix in anything it needs, blood meal, eggshells, composte, whatever

tburton12345 said:

I want to plant an outdoor garden this year. I got a new tiller and tilled up my patch for my garden. I'm planning on some tomatoes, corn, cantaloupe, watermelon, broccoli, squash, lettuce, and cucumbers.The soil is very rich but it packs down pretty tight almost like clay. What should i add to it to loosen it up? do people ever add perlite to outside gardens? i have some miracle grow top soil and potting mix all mixed together, can i add that? I'm planning on adding some compost but that is also a heavy soil.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Click to expand...

Don't add perlite or vermiculite. Despite what people tell you, don't do it. If you want to lighten up your soil, till in some mushroom manure, peat moss, compost, or whatever is available to you. You want something that's going to add nutes to your ground.

Now, if you're going to plant corn be sure to plant at least four rows. Corn is open pollinated and it needs to planted in blocks. It's better to put in a few short rows, opposed to one long row. Also, if you want you can add red clover or runner beans into your block. Both will add nitrogen into the soil, which your corn will eat up; and thank you for it.

Speaking of open pollination, you will run the possibility of your melons crossing. It's unlikely, but can happen. One thing that's for sure, you won't be able to save your seeds for next year.

Being that you're close to the river, i can assume that the ground is sandy/silt. You could also hit up your local landscape supply company and get some sifted topsoil. normally very loamy.

adding things that are going to add nutes to your soil will not keep it from compacting. i def would not use vermiculite. you don't need something that is gonna retain moisture.

Use any kind of compost grass cuttings, rines of fruit, what u cut off of lettuce, cabbage it will all sweeten up your garden. My garden is like 30' * 60' so perlite or vermiculite is out of the question. Straw, hay, sand, ashes rabbit , cow , horse poop any animal that doesnt eat meat will be fine. Sometimes it takes a few years to get it right. Also peatmoss, lime. Also if you use grass cuttings make sure they are dry first. Peace

Silky Shagsalot said:

adding things that are going to add nutes to your soil will not keep it from compacting.

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Right, but all of the things i recommended will do both. Soil is a living organism, and to add anything but, is absurd to me.

I'm sitting on a nice little 62 acre plot and have been growing 100% organic heirloom vegetables for the better part of ten years now. I have never in my day heard of anyone adding anything but green manures or something that will compost to amend their soil.

Depending on where he lives, water retention is very important!

i hope to have a spread like you have one day, ethics. i've always wanted to try growing those monster pumpkins, lol...

Silky Shagsalot said:

i hope to have a spread like you have one day, ethics. i've always wanted to try growing those monster pumpkins, lol...

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I got to thank the herb. If it wasn't for that I'd never be making my payments.

It's funny that you mentioned monster pumpkins. I just planted some King Mammoth's today. They're by no means monster (1100lbs+), but I'm hoping for a 300lber. Maybe one day I'll break down and get one of the huge hybrid variteties and grow a thousand pound pumpkin. I'd make a pumpkin house out of it.... or maybe a boat and float down river.

1000 lb pumpkin sounds sweet

What you need really is any kind of organic matter. This can be manure/humus, finished compost, peat moss, coco coir, dead leaves..anything that was alive once. I definitely would not add perlite or vermiculite to an outdoor garden except to improve drainage in container plants.

You should get a soil test done for you patch if you want to do this for serious. You can usually get it done at your state university or similar.Shouldn't cost you more than 15$ with the test for organic matter and you will know exactly how much NPK, lime and organic matter you will need for your patch. This applies for growing MJ as well...