This past summer I made a soil amender to restore life to the clapped out soil in our back flower garden. It consisted of: 4 parts blood meal 2 parts bone meal 1 part rock phosphate Mixed up with coir, it really seemed to rebuild the soil and did wonders for our flowers and shrubs. My questions: will this mixture be suitable for a veggie garden? I am composting now, so should have some nice compost by spring but should I amend the existing soil first, then put a layer of compost on it, as recommended by Lee Reich? Are blood and bone meal suitable for veggies? Thank you.
I'm not very precise about these things. To keep the fertility of my soil up in the veggie patch, I just make sure to add organic matter yearly. I have available my rotted compost and/or shredded leaves (I ask my neighbours for theirs too - saves them putting them in those big brown bags) in the late fall. Then some weed-free manure (chicken in my case) when available from fall to early spring. I try to keep some manure covered & on hand for the summer. This last year I ran out & some vegetables should have had a bit more feeding. Anyone, like you and me it seems, who thinks about these things & tries to improve with time will come up with their own system. Sounds like you are on the right track, to me. I think you will need some more organic nitrogen, to help build up the biomass of animal/bacterial/fungal organisms, in addition to your mix. This can most easily come in bags from any garden centre or from manure. Personally, I am cheap and look for low-cost or no-cost materials. They are around when I look for them.
I agree. You could just bury your kitchen scraps directly in the bed throughout the winter, or mix in shredded leaves (which are abundantly available right now). You could also cover your bed with shredded leaves to prevent weeds from sprouting through the winter. Come spring just turn this into the soil.
