Raising the Root

This post is dedicated to Ghost, the Garden Cat.  He was always my helper in the garden, but he particularly liked to get in the way during this stage of the game.

You’ll want to wait and do this after the ground has thawed.

Vegetables need good, rich soil to grow well.  Most Colorado soil is very dense and full of clay—it will need to be amended with some good stuff to make your plants are happy.  Check out the soil in your planned garden area—dig down a foot or so.  CAN you dig down a foot or so?  If not, you definitely need soil amendment—I’d double the numbers listed below.  Any earth worms in there?  If so, congrats!  Earth worms are our friends!  Your soil is probably in pretty good shape.  You can buy a soil testing kit if you want to know exactly how good your soil is, what’s in it, what the Ph level is, etc., but that’s all a bit too scientific for me.  I’d rather just get in there and start digging.

Ingredients needed for soil amendment: Soil Pep, Vermiculite (optional), Fertilizer, and Compost (not shown)

Shopping List:

• Compost:  Any kind of compost is fine, but I suggest mixing a few kinds together.  You can also add a bag or two of manure into this mix.  Whatever kind you use, mix them together in a wheel barrow before spreading it.  I suggest using about one bag per 25 square feet.
• Soil Pep:  I am a huge believer in Soil Pep—it’s kind of a mix of bark and other decomposable natural stuff, but it’s not compost.  It does a great job in breaking up tough soil and keeping it light and loose.  You can find it at pretty much any garden center or nursery, but I haven’t seen it at a big box store.  One bag is usually good for about 50 square feet.  Added garden nerd bonus:  the Soil Pep you use in your garden this year will break down before next year and further amend the soil!  Woohoo!  And look what I just got in my email box this morning–a SP coupon!
• Fertilizer:  There are lots of fertilizers out there, but I use one called Colorado’s Own Vegetable Food—it’s good for all kinds of veggies.  It’s in a orange bag, and the numbers on the bottom are 5-10-5 (sorry I don’t have a photo yet).  Go to Echter’s for this.  (If you haven’t been to Mecca—I mean Echter’s—yet, go.  Just go.  I apologize now for the damage it will do to your check book.  (I am sure that will be the subject of a future post.))  One bag of fertilizer should be enough, unless you have a huge plot you are planting.  It should say on the bag how big of an area it will cover.  Extra is not bad here—you will use more later in the season.
• Vermiculite:  This is optional.  Vermiculite works like little bitty sponges, so holds moisture really well, and probably means you can water a little less often.  But it’s pricey.  I only use it in starting seeds indoors (more on seed starting soon).   If you happen to have sandy soil, it might be a worth investment, since sandy soil tends to dry out faster.
• A spade—this is a big shovel with a pointy tip
• A hoe or Garden Weasel
• A rake—not a leaf rake, a big heavy one with solid tines

Turning the beds:  now it’s time to get down and dirty (literally)!  Whatever your favorite work out music is, turn it on full blast.  Green Day is my preferred score for this particular stage of the gardening process.

Take equal parts Soil Pep and compost (and vermiculite if you choose to use it), and pour the appropriate amount over the garden area.  Use the rake to spread them all somewhat evenly over the top of the garden.  Then get your vegetable fertilizer, and spread that over top of the area according to the package directions.

Once you have spread it all out, use your spade, and turn the entire garden over.  You’ll want to dig to a depth of about a foot, lift up, and dump it back down upside down.  Can you get your spade into whatever is under your amendments?  If it’s too hard, get the hose and give everything a really good soaking.  Grab yourself a tall glass of iced tea, go do the daily crossword puzzle, and come back in a couple of hours—it should be a little easier.  Once the area is turned over, take your hoe or Garden Weasel and thoroughly mix everything together.  (Sweating yet?)

The idea is to get the compost, Soil Pep, and fertilizer evenly distributed and mixed in with your existing soil to a depth of about a foot. Then use your rake to even everything out so that you have a nice flat surface.  Done!  I do this every year before planting anything.  Once you have done this a couple of years, your soil will be in much better shape, and you won’t have to break your back trying to turn it over.  You can also use less compost and Soil Pep down the road if you want.

The good news is the hard labor is over!  Next step: decide what you want to plant (and eat)!

Before: Weeds and dead plants need to be removed. Also, get the irrigation lines out of the way.

My Helper (he LOVES digging--lucky me!)

Earthworms are our FRIENDS!

Dump the Soil Pep and compost onto your garden

Spread it out with the rake so you have an even layer

Sprinkle on the fertilizer

Turn everything over - try to get to a depth of about one foot

Get it all good and mixed with your Garden Weasel (shown) or hoe

Even the surface with the back of your rake. You are ready to plant!