Vegetable Gardening Tips

Q. I have always applied composted cow manure to our garden in March, about 2 - 3" deep. Should I apply a commercial fertilizer also? Is 34-0-0 too hot for our situation? A. Clean compost can be a good thing for conditioning your soil, but I don't recommend that you depend on it to feed your...
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Q. This is the first year that I am gardening at our new house. Thegarden is 30' by 60'. On the end where I have put my tomato's the soilis heavy clay. In the buildup to putting in the garden, I tilled it 3times, got a load of fresh cow manure spread over it (about 4" deep)and tilled it a couple...
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Because microorganisms use nitrogen to decompose organic material, such as sawdust, the process of decay can temporarily lower the amount of available nitrogen in the soil. Remember that the loss is temporary, and that proper application of a balanced natural mineral nutrient mix, like the...
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Q. I'm considering 3 methods of disposing of my cornstalks. 1-trip to the dump, 2-tie them up and sell them, 3-borrow a chipper-shredder and then till them right back into the rows. I would like to chip/shred them and till them back into the rows along with some nitrogen. Any downside to this? I...
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Completely decomposed organic matter can have a beneficial effect in the soil, if it has no diseases or weed seeds in it. If available it should be incorporated in the garden. However, crops of the same quality and performance can be grown on land containing no humus, no compost, or any red worms.
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Q. Even if it's a poorer source of nitrogen than oil-based products (urea, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate), won't compost (particularly composted manure) get the job done? That's a completely free and renewable resource. My garden beds this year are heavily composted with manure and the...
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An article in the New England Journal of Medicine by Dr. Dennis G. Maki, titled Don't Eat the Spinach — Controlling Foodborne Infectious Disease is an important read for any of you using manure on your gardens. It is in the Files section of the MittleiderMethodGardening@YahooGroups.com for your...
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Fall is the best time to put materials into your garden, because they have 4-6 months to compost before you plant again. However, you can do it in February-March also, but be sure it is clean and free of bugs, weed seeds, and disease! If you can find clean, finely ground-up leaves to use, they...
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Q. So, what is the deal about rock dust? A. There is something of a buzz going around about rock dust for growing vegetables - as if it's a new discovery. The statement is made (http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=622128) that "By spreading the dust we are doing in...
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Q. What if it is granite dust? I don't understand that example. A. I wasn't slamming granite dust, but only suggesting that it is different from limestone - and by inference that every kind of dust is going to be somewhat different. That is not to say that whatever rock dust you use won't...
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Q. I have access to lots of chicken manure. Shouldn't I use it, since it's almost free? A. If you've got it, use it. However, the vast majority of people who want to grow gardens do not have ready access to it, and that is one of several reasons we don't teach and advocate its use. Chicken...
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Zoo Manure in the Garden Q. I want to try some manure to improve my soil tilth, and zoo animals have healthy, weed-free diets. Is that a good choice? And if I went to my local zoo, which animals’ manure should I ask for? A. First of all, only use the Herbivores' manure. Carnivore –doo is...
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