In-ground soil preparation

I grew organic for years then went veganic. Make your own compost and you won't have to buy anything. I use wet bales of alfalfa. Have used leaves and lawn clippings. People will give this to you. There is a guy on YouTube who grew plants on straw bales. I would like to try that with manure teas. I am really lazy. Turning my compost piles is about all the exercise I get.

cherrybobeddie said:

Sorry. I'm an old man. Old habit. Nixon. Reagan,

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I know, I still can't get used it myself. First time I walked into a dispensary in Colorado it completely tripped me out. And the quality now compared to back in high school--holy smoke!

NewEnglandFarmer said:

He's growing legally, same as me.

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To be honest, I was hesitant, but when I told the person I was speaking to it was for veggie and cannabis gardens, he told me they did a lot of testing for cannabis growers.

MidwestGorilla219 said:

I grow in mostly clay and my holes are 3' wide and about 15-18" deep. I would recommend planting a winter/spring cover crop in your native soil if your clay soil drains poorly, then mulch the native soil with woodchips once the growing season starts. After a few years you should have good soil with little effort and the cover crops will produce more biomass and work as mulch through summer.

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What do you recommend for a cover crop or crops?

It's hard to beat alfalfa, but I guess it might depend on where you're at. Vetch is good. Any of the clovers. These are legumes and fix nitrogen in the soil. The deal is to incorporate them into the soil before they seed. Called green manure by some. I have seen where the green matter was mowed and just left on the ground. After a certain number of years it was difficult to determine where the mulch ended and you were in topsoil when just digging around with your hand. I don't like to rototill. A soil scientist showed me where it leads to soil compaction. A friend rototilled a field where he grew vegetables. His annual yields drifted down and he was convinced it was the hardpan induced by rotovating.

@cherrybobeddie Thank you for the info!

I really like biochar for aeration. It’s not as unsightly as perlite either. I just make it out of yard waste and hardwood branches. Light up the pile and add your leftover bone scrap. When it’s ready put it out with a hose.

Char can also be charged up with organics. Fish poo works good if you keep fish. Pour it on, let it dry. No need to age.

I never bother with soil testing. Follow nature’s hand, organics + rock dust and then let the microbes create a balance. Really that is what dirt is, rock dust, organic material and microbes. Best not to change it too much.

Oxygen causes more problems imo. Too many organics or a dense layer of them will deplete oxygen in the soil.

One tip about clay, only work it dry. You want the crumbles.

After a lot of research into the “no -till” soil method, I have a much better understanding which led me to the following. I’m gonna dig 24x24 holes fill them the base no-till soil mix (as close as possible) and follow the no-till recommendations for maintaining the soil including worms, mulching, cover crops, etc. I bought an inexpensive compost bin and built another one out of chicken wire. Added 1000 red wrigglers to bought bin. I hope to produce enough compost and vermicompost to take care of my cannabis plants and my vegetable garden. Following this method, I’ll simply reuse the same holes year after year.