This year I am testing a bone meal based vegetable and tomato fertilizer. This is a natural fertilizer that provides not only phosphorus but calcium. Calcium helps avoid blossom end rot that can ruin a tomato. I thought a novel way to keep the highly attractive smelling fertilizer from the pup was to encapsulate it… Continue reading Using bone meal based vegetable and tomato fertilizer.
Category: Soil Supplies
Includes soil amendments and fertilizers
Catching up on long overdue chores – mulch
This week two yards of mulch will fill in various beds. At one point all my flower beds had a good couple inch layer of mulch to keep weeds down. The last time I posted about mulching was in 2009. So you can imagine its not high on the list. Though it should be! After… Continue reading Catching up on long overdue chores – mulch
Straw Bale Garden
This week I have received my vegetable seeds and are starting plans for next years garden. I came across a new way to keep a vegetable garden weed free, the straw bale garden. The inventor of this method, Joel Karsten has written a book called ‘Straw Bale Gardens’ to show gardeners the method. Essentially… Continue reading Straw Bale Garden
Square Foot Garden – Soil Mixture
They say to have a great garden you must have great soil. So starting with suggestions of square foot gardeners I created my own soil. The original recipe called for equal parts compost, vermiculite and peat moss. This mixture turned out to be too light for Colorado heat and dried out too quickly. **Note peat… Continue reading Square Foot Garden – Soil Mixture
Square Foot Gardening Plan
To best plan our small plot for vegetables, I am learning about square foot gardening. This technique uses the principle of marking coordinates to best utilize a space. Instead of rows that may have two feet of empty space on either side allowing room for weeds to grow, one or more plants are fit into… Continue reading Square Foot Gardening Plan
Leaves Leaves Leaves
Recycling leaves in a Colorado garden. I just listened to a podcast about trash and how different cities around the country deal with the cost of managing it. I’ve decided I’m all for charging by use. If people had to make the conscious decision about paying for the amount of trash they produce, maybe people… Continue reading Leaves Leaves Leaves
Fertilizers to purchase for soil test recommendations
The results of my soil test show that I need nitrogen in both the vegetable and shade garden. I would also like to reduce the pH in the shade garden to see if this may help perk up some of my plants that may want a more acidic soil. To purchase: For Nitrogen and pH… Continue reading Fertilizers to purchase for soil test recommendations
Soil Test Results
I recieved the results back from the Colorado State University Soil Labs site http://www.soiltestinglab.colostate.edu Shade Area Results Lab Number: H1648a Sample ID Number: shade Date Received 4/20/2011 Date Reported: 5/4/2011 County Jefferson Irrigation yes, sprinkler Plants brunnera, hydrangea to be grown previous amendments added: bonemeal at planting (tbsp), top dress compost yrly 1″ (5-6yrs), soil… Continue reading Soil Test Results
Soil Testing
For the longest time, I was convinced that not having an automatic sprinkler was the main reason I killed plants. After many years of watching plants shrivel and die I got a new system and ‘oila’ I had plants that thrived like my neighbors. Well no that’s not true. Many of the plants that needed… Continue reading Soil Testing
Spring clean-up
After a winter wondering if the pain in my hip I endured for months after a long day of bulb planting was worth it, I have to say yes! The daffodils add such a happy vibe to an otherwise drab spring background. I will definitely be adding more color for spring come this fall. So… Continue reading Spring clean-up