I just signed the lease for a community garden plot that hasn't been taken care of for a while. The soil is compacted, and I'll be accessing it on March 10. I'm planning to test the soil at the extension office. My main concerns are dealing with the weeds and improving the soil quality. I've only dealt with raised beds at home, so I'm not used to weeding. I have almost all the tools I need, but I'm not allowed to use herbicides. Should I till the soil now, and if so, should I do it before or after I add any amendments? There's also a patch of strawberries I want to keep, but I might dig them up and put them in containers. We're really looking forward to this garden since it's going to give us much more growing space, but it's also led to some debate with my husband about whether we should expand our usual crops or try new ones this year. It's a lot to think about!
1 Answer
I recommend tilling the soil with a good amount of shredded leaves and compost to help improve it. Just hold off on adding any amendments until after you receive your soil test results. It's great that you have access to all these materials!
Thanks! I’ll see if I can get a couple of soil samples before the 10th. I can definitely bring in leaves and they'll have compost available. So you think it's okay to till now and just mix in any amendments later?