Honestly I don't remember being this tired in a very long time. And a little grumpy. Instead of being happy that my new garden is getting more "real" I'm grumpy that it's no where ready to be really used. And if we keep crawling in this pace I'm not sure when it will be completed :( ok, back up for a bit. This Friday afternoon we got our soil delivered - 20 yards of it. 
The company promised that it was garden soil and ready to plant right away as it should have sand and compost mixed into it. Well when I got it my heart just sank down to the bottom - there is no way this can be used as is in the garden. Heavy gray clay with some sand and no compost or organic matter worth mentioning. I wouldn't bother calling this "garden" soil. So on top of prospect of shoveling 20 yards into the raised beds I had to trek to the local store and got 2 bales of peat and 2 packages of vermiculite so I can at least start doing something with this mess. And on top of that my husband is down with stomach flu so he can't really do much to help because he's very uncomfortable with stomach pains - but he tried to help a little bit anyway. So for about 3 hrs Friday afternoon I spent shoveling dirt into wheel cart, pushing it up the lawn toward the new raised bed frames and dumping it out. Then after it got dark was trek to the store for peat moss and vermiculite. So in the morning I mixed one bale of peat and one bag of vermiculite into the first bed - the bottom right side of the garden and planted some of the potatoes - Red Bliss on the left side of the L-shape, Yukon Gold on the bottom right and regular white potatoes in the rest of the bed. 
You can see wooden labels separating areas and marking where each variety starts. This was not originally in my plans for this bed, but because of the delay with making this garden I didn't want to waste any more time and just start planting whatever got available first. And even if the fencing is not in place yet and the rest of the beds are not complete I thought it would be ok to plant potatoes as animals usually don't bother them too much. Tomorrow I hope to complete one more bed and plant onions - it will be shared with tomatoes later on (I'll block off areas where they'll be planted). At least I hope we'll get more done soon.
The company promised that it was garden soil and ready to plant right away as it should have sand and compost mixed into it. Well when I got it my heart just sank down to the bottom - there is no way this can be used as is in the garden. Heavy gray clay with some sand and no compost or organic matter worth mentioning. I wouldn't bother calling this "garden" soil. So on top of prospect of shoveling 20 yards into the raised beds I had to trek to the local store and got 2 bales of peat and 2 packages of vermiculite so I can at least start doing something with this mess. And on top of that my husband is down with stomach flu so he can't really do much to help because he's very uncomfortable with stomach pains - but he tried to help a little bit anyway. So for about 3 hrs Friday afternoon I spent shoveling dirt into wheel cart, pushing it up the lawn toward the new raised bed frames and dumping it out. Then after it got dark was trek to the store for peat moss and vermiculite. So in the morning I mixed one bale of peat and one bag of vermiculite into the first bed - the bottom right side of the garden and planted some of the potatoes - Red Bliss on the left side of the L-shape, Yukon Gold on the bottom right and regular white potatoes in the rest of the bed. You can see wooden labels separating areas and marking where each variety starts. This was not originally in my plans for this bed, but because of the delay with making this garden I didn't want to waste any more time and just start planting whatever got available first. And even if the fencing is not in place yet and the rest of the beds are not complete I thought it would be ok to plant potatoes as animals usually don't bother them too much. Tomorrow I hope to complete one more bed and plant onions - it will be shared with tomatoes later on (I'll block off areas where they'll be planted). At least I hope we'll get more done soon. Then I also spent an hour in my old garden area and planted more peas - they are a bush variety that doesn't require support so I made 3 rows of them and hope they'll be ok to grow. I might add a low trellis to support them anyway but that's next weekend. I also planted few of the purple potatoes that I had from last year. They already had sprouted so hope it will grow nicely. And I planted 4 fingerling's just for kicks. I found them on the bottom of my potato basket that was stored in the garage and just tossed them in - if they grow then it's great and if not no big loss. I'm not a big fan of them but my hubby likes them in potato salad.
So long and tiring day and tomorrow will be more. My back is killing me and my right arm refuses to work anymore. Oh well. It's all worth it. Or at least I keep saying so to myself - it will be all worth it once it's all completed and nicely green and pretty. Oy.
Jenny, I'm so sorry that did not get the soil that you were promised. I know exactly what you are dealing with. You could make pottery from the clay here.
ReplyDeleteTake heart though, if you can get the clay somewhat loose, most plants grow great in it.
Thanks Ed, I hope that mixed in peat and vermiculite will make it a little lighter. I will have to go find large quantity of compost to add to this or there will not be any veggies for me this year. :(
DeleteSorry things didn't work out as planned for you. I agree with Ed, you can probably work with that even though it is not what you wanted. My beds started with straight top soil from the rock quarry because I couldn't afford Mel'x Mix. Every time my beds run low and I need to add soil to them, I just add a bag of manure or mushroom compost. In less than a year of doing that, my soil is pretty rich. Twenty yards of soil is a heck of a load, but just take your time. You will get there.
ReplyDeleteKris - that's what reeks more than anything else - I DID pay for top quality soil - regular top soil would have cost 1/2 of that, and instead i got garbage. Oh well, as you said just keep adding compost and eventually it will turn into a good mix.
ReplyDeleteIf that is the case, I would talk to the person that you purchased from and maybe there was a mix up and they gave you the wrong stuff. I would ask for a refund for the difference in the two.
DeleteI did ask the driver when it was delivered - he said this was their garden soil :( looks like this is how they swindle people and there is nothing i can do about it :(
DeleteWell that is too bad, but I had a similar experience. I don't know if you purchased this from a rock quarry type place or a nursery/garden center.
DeleteI have found that there is a huge difference between the two. What a rock quarry calls garden soil is normally just fill dirt that is screened. I had the same thing happen to me and now I get my "garden soil" from a local nursery. The price per yard is the same, but the quality is much better.
This was from our local nursery where we go pick apples each fall :(
DeleteHave you checked to see if your town offers free compost? Our town makes compost from all of the leaves and yard waste that they pick up each year and then dump it in huge piles at several local parks for people to pick up in early spring. That's terrible about the soil :(
ReplyDeleteBut try not to be too discouraged because your layout looks really fantastic, and what a huge garden you will soon have!
Kris is right, it's amazing what a little manure can do to poor soil. We created a shade garden last year in clay soil. I added some manure and peat moss to the areas where I planted and everything grew really well.
There is a place where I can get compost but it's a popular place and often wiped clean before I can get anything. I did get two buckets of it this year for my other garden. I do hope to fix it all and have it turn into a good garden.
DeleteHow terrible, the soil they gave you. If you paid for quality soil, can't you make them replace it or give you your money back?
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain....literally. Last night my husband told me I was getting bent over. I actually couldn't straighten up after yesterday in the garden! It took a couple of doses of Tylenol to get me walking upright again. And I'm supposed to get a load of manure today. And I tore out a raised bed yesterday and have to move all the soil over to a different raised bed. And...and...and....it never ends ;-)
Annie - I feel your pain too and hope it will go away soon! You're my inspiration to keep going :)
DeleteWow! I can't tell you how much we relate, but in our own soil related but different way. It sounds like you're taking a very proactive and effective response to the problem! Kudos's! Especially during this amazingly buzy and crucial time of year!
ReplyDeletethank you Jody, I didn't want to miss out on the crucial planting time. I did see your post about mixing soil with manure so good luck to both of us!
DeleteWe have tremendous problems with clay soil as well. Last year was pretty bad, but we still got a great tomato crop. Then last fall I tilled in a bunch of leaves and we have semi-decent soil this year, though it could be better.
ReplyDeleteWe are spreading compost/peat on our beds this year, and so far it's turning out pretty nice.
That certainly looks like a lot of work! But you are making good progress. That's about how I spent my St Patrick's day as well. :)