Hey all! I've moved into this home and since enough time has past now that I know the yard and I have built and installed a bed. I plan to plant raspberries, strawberries and a few other berries (and I have heard that garlic does well with those things?). So now I am at the stage where I am not sure what amendments to add to best help those plants to grow. Feed the soil not the plants right? I put in some sheep manure a week or two ago just cause I had it laying around. I know that the soil has lots of sand, a small amount of clay and basically no silt. So what is my next step? I have some raspberry and strawberry plants that need to go in soon and I'm feeling kind of lost. ~Pearl Thanks in advance!
Yes, the best approach to growing healthy, nutrient-balanced, mineral-loaded fruit and vegetables is to let the nature to take care of fertilizing them. So you feed the soil, or more exactly, the soil organisms, and they will produce fertilizer for your plants in right amounts, and, what is equally important, in right proportions. They will also keep your soil well aerated and in good tilth. Diversified organic soil amendments will provide food and shelter to the soil creatures, from the largest, such as worms and arthropods, to the smallest ones like bacteria and protozoa. If you practice no-till approach organic mulches will do the same. Myself, having a chemical free garden, I don't use manures, first of all because they almost always contain chemicals nowadays, second, because it is easy to over-fertilize and the nutrients in the manure may be not exactly in the right proportions for the plants needs, and third, because I don't see any need for doing so. I use organic grass clippings, straw, wood chips, sawdust, leaves, wood ash, guano, crushed egg shells etc. for mulching. Since you are interested in soil have a look at this page http://kootenaygardening.com/soil_organisms.htm and follow the links there to learn more. For soil building and regeneration look here: http://kootenaygardening.com/gardening_general_information.htm#Soil%20Building%20and%20Regeneration and follow the links. You can find a lot more information on the Net on these topics if you want. Understanding and building a healthy soil is a long term project which will give you great results for years to come. If you want to take a shortcut, as some horticulturists would advice you to do, then yes, fertilize, water without need, kill your soil organisms, destroy your soil. You will get quick but also very short-term positive results, followed by difficulties in growing healthy plants after the first year, or two.
