when is it okay to prepare soil / beds?

Discussion in 'Soils, Fertilizers and Composting' started by sluggo, Jan 9, 2004.

  1. sluggo

    sluggo Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    50
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Vancouver, Canada
    Hi there,

    For a number of reasons, many of my landscaping plans were delayed last year. One issue that is still unresolved for me, and is causing me some concern, is the bed that I was going to prepare for some new apple trees.

    I have dug a small trench (60cm wide, 30cm deep) which I can fill with soil. As well, I have a rock border around the trench so I can have a raised bed (another 30cm maybe). I also have a big pile of soil ready. I think everything is ready for mixing compost/manure and filling up the bed. My big concern is how wet everything is. I've already seen big problems with this because the ground surrounding the trench is a huge mudfest - all the landscaping work in the area caused the wet soil to turn into mud (I was putting in new concrete sidewalks and paving bricks). Even the bottom of the trench seems somewhat muddy. I'm afraid to do much work with this bed for fear of creating a large mud bed that will turn to caked mud when in dries out. Meanwhile I have 5 apple trees that are waiting to be planted and pruned for training.

    Is it advisable to push forward with preparing the bed? Or should I wait until everything dries out in the spring, take stock of the situation and start over then? Are there some professional landscapers that I could hire for a day or two that could take care of this for me in a satisfactory manner?

    cheers,
    Doug
     

Share This Page