# Adding on to my Garden



## shoalnuff (Dec 18, 2013)

I am fixing to add on to my garden. I have a low spot beside my garden. I also have a neighbor that has a dump truck and a pit. Since he is so close i can get a great deal on top soil, i can even get a little sand in it if i want. The question i have is, Should i use this or just purchase some type of garden mix at double the cost? If i decide to get this stuff from the neibor, What would be the first thing i should add to it before i plant? Please keep in mind that i do NOT compost nor am i a tree hugger looking to go all organic any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, keep in mind that we are talking about probably 3ea 14 yrd dumps of soil !!!


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

Top soil and sand is going to lack what you need 

Weather you go syenthetic or organic its hard to argue the benifitis of compost

You can buy it by the yard or by the bag - Black Kow makes a good bag compost sold at lowes

You can save by not just buying a quality garden mix and then amending it

If you choose to go the route of buying other than topsoil - rose mix w/ compost and sand already mixed in is suggested

I heard the guy on the radio say: it's better to plant a .25 cent plant in a $5 dollar hole, rather than a $5 plant in a .25 cent hole... Made sence and might save you some time and $

If you plan on doing a spring garden the time to do it was last month, as it will need time to rest but there will be some time for the heat loving plants


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

If it were me, I think I would get the dirt from your neighbor, assuming it is quality top soil. Be sure to look at it first. If its gumbo, no thanks.

The first thing I would add would be bags of composted sheep and/or cow manure. Mix it in good in the prospective rows before planting. Use sparingly and continue to use over the seasons and you will build that soil into something better than you can buy anywhere.

Its too bad some organic gardeners have given gardening a bad name with their evangelical preaching, criticism of everyone not so inclined, and Spartan methods. Gardening should be enjoyed. It should not be a torture or survival test. Fact is, it doesn't need to be either.


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

Agree, buy the soil from your neighbor. Plant the heck out of it this year. It will produce what it can. Add bag or bulk compost and mulch as you can over the next years. Enjoy it. It is enough work without stressing about organic or not.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

It takes years to build good soil. You can actually see it getting better as the years pass. I think gardening is a personal venture. Seems we all do it different. Depends on the soil in your neck of the woods.
I doubt anyone here is organic. I'm Farm Fresh & not a tree hugger. LOL No offense to you. But if someone wants to grow organic I wouldn't term them as Tree Huggers. Its just the way they choose to garden. We are all different.
Take raising livestock. Everyone has different methods. It has a lot to do with where you live & the breed your raising that determines your technique.


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## shoalnuff (Dec 18, 2013)

Thanks for all the help! i got 14 yrd's of the neighbors top soil yesterday. Also stopped by the local farm & ranch supply and picked up some Cotton seed meal, and bone meal and i'm heading out to the pasture this evening for some aged cow paddies so i can get it all tilled in. anything else ya'll think i should till in before i make my rows?:spineyes:


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Go for it. The only think will need is rain & the heat to not show up too soon. One more thing no freezing weather. Plant lots of maters. God I love home grown maters. Good luck !


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## shoalnuff (Dec 18, 2013)

*Just wondering?*

Has anyone ever used the manure from around the Hay ring? You know, where the cows just stand and eat off of the round bailes. It seams like it just goes in the front and out of the back. I was thinking of just getting a few scoops with my tractor and adding it into my garden? I got one scoop yesterday but i just dumped it next to the garden because i wasn't sure if it would burn up my plants. Any thought's? Thanks again!


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Cattle manure isn't anywhere near as "hot" as something like chicken manure. Even if it is fairly fresh, if it is rototilled or plowed in, you won't burn anything. Go for it now.

When you finish up this year's garden, start putting more manure on top of the soil again as soon as the old plants are out. You can lay it on heavier this time because it will have more time to decompose. Rain will gradually pull some of this into the soil. If you have access to lots of manure, don't bother buying any more bags of anything. Basically, a cow is a speed composter on 4 legs. 

The only potential downside is weed seed in the manure. Usually, cow manure doesn't have this problem as much as horse manure does though. If I use horse manure, I work it in well and then use either black plastic or a thick mulch around the plants to keep the weed seeds from getting light to germinate.


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## shoalnuff (Dec 18, 2013)

Thanks for the info Dick.I do have access to all of the cow manure i want and i also just bought me a new Tractor:rotfl:! I can jump on it and run next door to my neigbors pasture and scoop up all i need ! Thanks again for all the help and i'll post some pics of the garden soon. Maybe even one of the new Tractor!!!


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

shoalnuff said:


> Has anyone ever used the manure from around the Hay ring? ...


 Yes, every spring I take a few loads to the garden. I don't have any problems with weeds...but I do avoid taking the old hay when possible because I use my own Bahia hay, which is "seedy".

I like to put it on the garden two or three weeks before planting...and till it in good.....but Dick is right, you can probably get by with a lot less.


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## shoalnuff (Dec 18, 2013)

Thanks guy's. I guess i'll be headed out this evening to get another load and then get back behind the tillersad2sm. I am ready to get something in the ground but i know all this prep work will be worth it in the end.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

shoalnuff said:


> Thanks guy's. I guess i'll be headed out this evening to get another load and then get back behind the tillersad2sm. I am ready to get something in the ground but i know all this prep work will be worth it in the end.


Yup! Don't rush it. I'm still planting stuff & have a ways to go. Planted cukes & two secret mater plants for the big mater contest. lol


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## shoalnuff (Dec 18, 2013)

Rubberback said:


> Yup! Don't rush it. I'm still planting stuff & have a ways to go. Planted cukes & two secret mater plants for the big mater contest. lol


I guess i'm just getting a little anxious!


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

shoalnuff said:


> I guess i'm just getting a little anxious!


Me too. I have to many gardens. I do have my maters & other stuff planted.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Rubberback said:


> Yup! Don't rush it. I'm still planting stuff & have a ways to go. Planted cukes & two secret mater plants for the big mater contest. lol


 Secret mater plants? LOL...thought I was the only one that did that.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Meadowlark said:


> Secret mater plants? LOL...thought I was the only one that did that.


Competition!


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## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

Multiple competitors! I have tomato plants purchased weeks ago still in containers whereas I can snatch them inside if cold weather threatens.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

monkeyman1 said:


> Multiple competitors! I have tomato plants purchased weeks ago still in containers whereas I can snatch them inside if cold weather threatens.


Don't say that word. LOL


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## locolobo (Dec 2, 2005)

I use goat manure from the barn every spring. Also think cover crops. Legumes as much as possible to add nitrogen. Around Aug, Plant beans and cut and till before fall. Oct/Nov Clover,alfalfa or any of the cool weather legumes. cut and till about 2 weeks before planting crops. Could try some of the deer food plot mixes also. Some have a mix of legumes in them. Adds organic matter to the soil also.


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

With unlimited cow hockey,a neighbor with cheap topsoil,you'll need the tractor to haul the produce to the house.I loaded my garden heavy with horse **** all winter,but it sure aint as rich as cow poop.Cow won't burn anything up.Look at any cow-lot or pasture and you'll see everywhere a cowpile is because of the tall clump of grass growing out of it.


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## shoalnuff (Dec 18, 2013)

Ok i've got it started! I got my maters planted 4 types, 4 types of peppers. 2 types of squash, 2 types of cantelopes, and watermellons and 2 types of cucumbers. everything that vines out are on the last two rows on the right. Notice how much room i have left between the rows for melons and lopes I also made a trellis for the cukes but i dont have it up yet.probably this evening. Also as you can see from the pics that i only have half of it planted. The rest of my garden will be peas. blackeyes and purple hulls. Oh, and i threw in a picture of my little grandson playing on my new tractor:rotfl: Also if you notice, in front of my garden is pile of cow poop. It has already been tilled in along with 3 more piles. they all went in the area where my peas are! Thanks for looking!


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

Looks great. From just a visual on the soil there, I would recommend adding a lot of foilage/compost this next fall/winter. Hay from around the feed rings would be excellent. Pile it high and disc/till it in. It will decompose during the winter. You could even add it now between the rows to act as mulch and weed control and then disc it under this fall.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

shoalnuff said:


> Ok i've got it started! I got my maters planted 4 types, 4 types of peppers. 2 types of squash, 2 types of cantelopes, and watermellons and 2 types of cucumbers. everything that vines out are on the last two rows on the right. Notice how much room i have left between the rows for melons and lopes I also made a trellis for the cukes but i dont have it up yet.probably this evening. Also as you can see from the pics that i only have half of it planted. The rest of my garden will be peas. blackeyes and purple hulls. Oh, and i threw in a picture of my little grandson playing on my new tractor:rotfl: Also if you notice, in front of my garden is pile of cow poop. It has already been tilled in along with 3 more piles. they all went in the area where my peas are! Thanks for looking!


Thats great. Teach them young. He looks like a handful. But boys will be boys.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Excellent start Shoalnuff. Watch out for weeds this first year...it will get better each successive year. 

Those melons and vining plants can take up a surprising amount of room. 

If you like okra, use a little room for them later on when its hot.


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## shoalnuff (Dec 18, 2013)

Thanks alot guy's! I left enough room between the rows to be able to run the tiller down through them if i need toh: I figured with this being the first garden in a long while that the weeds would be my nightmare. I'm just hopeing that i can keep them somewhat at bay???? My neighbor will have the cleanest hay rings around after this gardening season. I figure i'll be out there with an ice cold Adult beverage waiting on them cows to poop before i'm done!!!:cheers:


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