Hey everyone! I'm looking for some advice on my raised bed gardening. Last year, I built a 12 ft by 4 ft raised bed using cinder blocks and filled it with garden soil I bought from a local nursery, along with the recommended fertilizer. My tomatoes did pretty well (despite the pesky squirrels!). Now, I'm planning to add something to the soil this year and picked up some "Miracle-Gro garden soil with compost" to mix in with my existing soil, along with some worm castings. I live in central Indiana and usually plant my tomatoes around mid to late May. So, I'm curious: when's the best time to add this new soil? Any other tips for soil prep would be appreciated. Thanks a lot!
3 Answers
What exactly are you trying to improve with the soil prep?
Definitely try to prep the bed and mix in the worm castings as early as you can! This way, everything has time to blend well together before you plant your tomatoes.
Thanks! The weather's looking good here for the next week, so I guess now's a great time to get started.
You might also want to check with your local agriculture extension for the best advice on your area’s growing conditions. You can add that compost now or in the next month, just make sure to mix it into the soil. Covering it with newspaper helps keep the nitrogen and potassium from leaching out. Just be cautious if it’s been super rainy; you don’t want the nutrients to wash away. And keep an eye on those nighttime temps—if it drops below 60°F, your tomatoes could struggle!
I usually wait until mid to late May to put my tomatoes out, since Indiana in April can be pretty rainy. That’s actually why I was asking. Thanks for the tips!
I’m just trying to figure out if I should prep the soil earlier or wait until just before planting to add the composted soil. Thanks for your input!