Its that time of year again. I’m pulling out summer crops and putting in fall ones. I have a raised bed, my oldest, that has really become depleted. The vegies in it this summer didn’t perform well, and when I tested the soil I was stunned at barely-there amount of nitrogen that registered. I tried to salvage my summer crops with a shot of fish meal, which helped a bit, but I know more work is needed. Frankly, the bed needs a rest.
I amend the bed regularly with worm compost, but it still has issues. My neighbor’s Ash tree is sucking up a lot of the water, and I know that’s not helping. And, the bed has been planted consistently with food crops for almost 8 years now—with nitrogen fixers added to the mix regularly. Still, more work is needed.
So…yesterday I got out there and pulled out almost everything in the bed, cut in a bunch more worm compost and planted up fava beans.
I did a longer write up on preparing fava beans plant up and another on nitrogen fixation. Enjoy!
-- GardenMentor, Seattle, WA (zone 8/9), www.gardenmentors.com & www.gardenhelp.org
6 comments so far
roman
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636 posts in 327 days
posted 69 days ago
what about manure?
why is that where I mixed manure into the veggie garden, that those areas flourished?
-- Central northish Ontario
gardenmentor
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118 posts in 314 days
posted 69 days ago
Manures are high in nitrogen. Plus, they have high water holding capacity. As long as the manures are cured (aka the nitrogen isn’t still hot/has been broken down), your plants will love it there. If seedlings meet hot manures, they can fry up.
-- GardenMentor, Seattle, WA (zone 8/9), www.gardenmentors.com & www.gardenhelp.org
roman
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636 posts in 327 days
posted 68 days ago
thanks
-- Central northish Ontario
MsDebbieP
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3811 posts in 507 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 67 days ago
excellent.
thanks for the tips!
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)
gardenmentor
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118 posts in 314 days
posted 67 days ago
If you check back, you’ll see the vermin have foiled some of my plans. All is not lost. I’ll be replanting (overplanting) this weekend!
-- GardenMentor, Seattle, WA (zone 8/9), www.gardenmentors.com & www.gardenhelp.org
jroot
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1022 posts in 137 days
hardiness zone 5a
posted 65 days ago
I have a McCulloch chipper which I use in the fall. When the dahlias are done, I chop up the stems and leaves, and put right back onto the soil, and mix in well. Then I plant my tulips ready for next spring, and pray that the squirrels don’t get to them.
-- jroot