There are few old tricks that can help you help your garden soil pretty cheap and all natural. What I started with 3 years go as garden soil was a top layer of soil, about 3 inches. The rest was clay and lots of stones, so from the first till I knew I had to add tons of organic materials. I would hate to guess how many tons of materials I hae foraged for, leaves, grass clippings, old mulch and mushroom compost.
I wish I had some follow up photos to share, but I tilled the garden and set my onions and shallots before the rain came. Than it was dinner time and a storm has moved in. But the soil color is getting better every year as well as my garden plants remain healthy and seem to be getting better every year.
Gypsum is used in soil to help break up clay as well as break the soil down to convert it into a finer textured soil to work with. It has no value so it won't change the acid/ph at all. It also helps to let air in for healthier soil.
Pound for Pound, Alfalfa Meal has the cheapest, most available nitrogen for your garden. For two years now I have added 4 50 pound a year into the soil. Mother Earth News covered this method last year it it is the cheapest most natural way to go. I paid 12.00 for a 50 pound bag. Consider doing it when it isn't windy outside as it is a meal/powder form of alfalfa. I will need to till the soil several more times before the Gypsum can do its job.
I did get the green house up with little effort, it took just a half an hour from start to finish, and I already have some seeds as well as plants. I plain to build a blueberry cage as well as consider getting my fence up in the near future before I can get some cold weather veggies in.
The plants in the cold frame are doing well, I sure hope I like swiss chard, we'll find out soon!!!!!
Thank you for those tips. I might try them when I reconstruct my second garden. So you came up with this yourself? Judging by your pictures, the soil looks very healthy. When will you post your follow-up photos?
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