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the ground

ok so, this weekend im going to till up this garden spot in our back yard, its full of weeds and things right now because it hasnt been used in years. what should i do to prepare the soil for planting in the spring? do i need to mix in a bag of peatmoss, some cow manure, and some fertilzer? any input would be awesome!

i havent do any research, i just figured i would ask here first.
 
2-3 barrals of sphagnum moss, 4 bins of live horse shit, 18 bags of steer, 2-3 bags of compost, and some old food. Let sit over the winter, mixing occasionally. You will have a SUPER great soil!
 
ok how about some stuff i can buy readily?

i dont know where i can go get some live horse shit, nor do i really know what that is. by alive do you mean still steaming? i dont know if i can accomplish that.
 
bubbaschili said:
with live horse shit do you have to put up a little fence so it dosent go all over the yard?
With a little training you won't need the fence.

ross said:
ok how about some stuff i can buy readily?
It easy to get that stuff (minus the horse shit). Just go to home depot or Osh or DIY.

ross said:
i dont know where i can go get some live horse shit, nor do i really know what that is. by alive do you mean still steaming? i dont know if i can accomplish that.

Live horse shit means that its still fresh and hot. Just go to a horse ranch and they'll gladly give it away. Buy using the live stuff you end up transfering much needed bacteria into the ground and when mixed, it will help break down all the other stuff ingredients to make a nice and happy garden.
 
think ill get the other stuff minus the steaming doo doo.

can i get a bag of cow manure at the store and use that?
 
i was kinda hoping to just go with some peat, cow manure and fertilizer.. seems a little easier than tossing my trash into the garden. haha
 
Live manure, is that only for winter when you're not worried about burning the roots?

BTW, I just yanked all my bean plants, trimmed about half of my tomatoes down. The peppers are like the Dude. The peppers abide. I'm still getting fruit from them, I just counted 39 immature habs and about 45 immature jalapenos. I'm starting to plan my winter so the soil will be good next year, so I'll be following this one closely.
 
Skydiver said:
Live manure, is that only for winter when you're not worried about burning the roots?
Yes. Unless you take the poo and put it in a 5 gallon bucket (fill with 1/6 poo and 5/6 water). Let sit for two weeks, stirring every 3 days. Then throw it on you new planting bed. Mix into the soil and wait a week. Then plant and your plants will grow like crazy!

ross said:
think ill get the other stuff minus the steaming doo doo. can i get a bag of cow manure at the store and use that?
Yep, you can. But for the space that you are talking about, I would say use more than one bag. The bags are cheap.
 
imaguitargod said:
Yep, you can. But for the space that you are talking about, I would say use more than one bag. The bags are cheap.


ill measure the space when i get home. then i can make a grocery list. ill post that around 8 or 9 est.
 
ross said:
so you think 3 bags of cow shit and 1 bag of peatmoss will do it?
Not sure on the fert issue, but I say, if you want really good soil use 2 barrals of sphagnum moss(they come in large bags at about $12 each), 18 bags of steer (about $2 each), 2-3 bags of compost and you should be set. Just let it sit over the winter and you'll have huge happy plants in the spring.
 
imaguitargod said:
Not sure on the fert issue, but I say, if you want really good soil use 2 barrals of sphagnum moss(they come in large bags at about $12 each), 18 bags of steer (about $2 each), 2-3 bags of compost and you should be set. Just let it sit over the winter and you'll have huge happy plants in the spring.

ok cool thanks!
 
naganero said:
horse poo, cow shit, whats the diff both stink :)

actually naganero....horse poop makes a HEALTHIER garden...i put it in last winter and this summer i had the best looking plants ever..!!
 
I have access to all the horse and cow manure I could ever need but I don't use it fresh except in my large compost bins. The fresh stuff takes to long to break down in colder climates and contains to many weed seeds. I've also noticed that horse manure has a lot more weeds than cow. I guess its the multiple stomach thing. "Death to the Cows" eh.
I like to add mushroom compost as well as leaves and soil from dead potted plants to my garden as well as kitchen compost and even straw. Anything organic.

Here's some interesting info on using horse manure. Hope I'm not breaking the rules linking to another forum.
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5144
 
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