New gardeners need help!

What nature can do for us, and that too completely for free - We can ever match, no matter how much money we spend...



Of course, you will see results of this materialize after some time, (2 years down the road at least). So it's not going to give you quick results overnight... Therefore in the meantime, if you desire quick results - Then you can change your soil composition.

But doing this at the same time, (introducing earthworms), will make sure that your soil will never get depleted later. As you will continue to grow stuff out of it, earthworms will keep on replenishing it from below.

Personally, I feel that your soil is fine just the way it is. Slowly earthworm will process it into a better state - Even if there aren't any in your soil right now, they soon will arrive. This is now nature works...

I say this because nowhere in nature do we ever find an ideal composition of soil, (except for maybe around dead volcanos perhaps). But every other patch of land changes according to how it is being used by plant life growing on it's top surface. So soil condition isn't really a big concern. Even if it isn't ideal right now - It eventually will be.

Of course, if you are growing in containers. Then it's a completely different matter, (as a plant growing in containers doesn't have any link to the Earth). So in that case soil condition matters a lot, (as you haven't got enough to establish a fully functioning living ecosystem in the soil). So this is where soil condition becomes a priority... Otherwise, no need to bother.

Oh and always try to avoid artificial fertilizers as much as possible. They all give very quick results in the start. But majority of them are chemically bonded to one type of a salt or another. So repeated use of them leads to salt buildup in your soil, (which isn't easy to extract). So this effectively poisons your soil over time. To a point that eventually earthworms too won't come...

This is a point when we say, that the soil is now dead, and the land worthless. However, there is a plant, a tree actually. Which can even reverse this! I posted about that too.

https://www.gardenstew.com/threads/conocarpus-tree.36945/

It's called the Conocarpus tree. It sucks out all the salt from the soil. And makes it sweeter. This tree is now very popular in my locality, as I am situated right at the coastline. So because of the ocean, groundwater is always salty. But this tree, just like coconut and other types of palm trees. Is thriving!

So it's all about you maintaining a healthy balance while working with the forces of nature. Your soil condition will only get better, (and that too completely for free). If you don't stray away too far from nature's way.

 

just buy garden soil and compost, fill your vehicle with the stuff.

 

Well Fendi and Eric, looks like what we have here is a Mexican Standoff, (always wanted to say that!)!



One way is by knowledge that was acquired through decades of experimenting, and very carefully listening to what nature was saying.

While the other method involves throwing money directly into the dirt, (literally), until something happens - In short, gardening knowledge acquired from playing too much FarmVille on Facebook!



OK, all our silly jokes aside - It's already May, so you guys now need a quick start. Therefore I can already guess what you are going to do. Which is to immediately start off with some addition of compost. But also try my way for long term sustainability.

So I hope all this was a happy and fun experience, acquiring gardening knowledge plus wisdom.



Surprisingly, this has been a very amusing experience for me too, (but I'm not going to say why, as it's too easy to guess)...



Hint: Fill the vegetable bed with that stuff, not your vehicle, (unless you plan on growing vegetables out of your car)!

 

10 bags of compost is good, its definitely going to give your soil a big boost. also, adding straw as mulch ontop is a gr8 idea, it will decompose over time and feed the soil, it will keep moisture in, it will starve weeds of sunlight, just don't mix it into the soil too much as the decomposition process might rob the soil of some nitrogen, not a big deal but something to keep in mind. the worms will definitely be beneficial too.

another thing that will build your soil is plant roots! so get planting. I'd recommend adding in some peas and beans these plants will take nitrogen from the air rather than the soil, definitely a good crop to get started with IMO. and you don't need to spend lots of money on transplants for these, they work best when planted directly in the soil from seed.

Gr8 vid, short and sweet, getting started is hard work and so is posting up videos, I hope to see more updates.

 

He likes worms... Because they are down to Earth!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

 

By the way, now would be a good time to invest in a soil testing meter, (to take the guesswork out).

You can get multimeters, which has 3 or more meters combined into 1. Or buy a moisture meter and pH meter separately, along with a light meter - Whatever fits your needs...

But to remove the guesswork, get something now. Because you guys have today put in a lot of hard work. So beyond this point, should anything go wrong - It's going to hurt, (which nobody wants to see happen now).

 

@adam.ca
Thanks for watching and responding! Great info about the about the straw/nitrogen; will have to watch that.
Thanks as well for the video feedback, we definitely will keep posting updates as we work through the season. The first planting vid will be next/soon!

 

@S-H
Thank you for the support! Also that makes a lot of sense about the soil meter, we will definitely look into getting one.
Thanks again for all the advice!

 

Hi, well done, now just plant something and give it water and wait and see. I think your garden is going to grow well. When is your last frost date. In gardening, it doesn’t matter if you make a mistake, because you can always try again.

 

@Odif
Thank you! We sure hope it does well!
Based on what we saw the average last frost date for Denver, CO is about May 15. We should have a video up soon with the cold season plants being put in the garden. We hope you'll subscribe to the channel and watch the next one too! (I'm sure we'll have questions)
Thanks again!

 

Since you guys are done with getting the right soil mixture, (as well as introducing earthworms).

Now comes the planting and propagation. So here is something very interesting and fun which beginners can do with tomatoes.



I suggest tomatoes, because they are quick to grow. So from seed to harvest takes just 3 months in my climate, (all year round). But with this technique, you can cut that time in half!

 

Cool!

 

Dear Eric and Fendi, something has come up. So I need to devote my whole attention elsewhere. But before I become unavailable for a few days - Here is my final suggestion for the time being.

Up until now you both have done everything perfectly. And so in my opinion you guys are all set, thus don't really require much advice anymore.

However immediately after the planting stage and a little before harvest - You might face an issue with rodents. They might not been seen in your area up till now. But believe me, just as your vegetables and fruit will start to nature - They too will arrive. Somehow, from somewhere, they will come, mark my words.

My advice is, NEVER use poison... As any poison we introduce into the environment, stays there for a very long time, (I'm sure you also know this, but I am just saying it so that others might learn too). Therefore poison often causes further fatalities down the line. Like you might succeed in killing the rat. But the bird or cat (who might be someone's pet) will eat the dear rat, and also die.

Therefore invest a little in some mouse traps. Or simply make one yourself!

Here is another one of my videos from my personal YouTube channel. It's a humane mouse trap, (which I designed myself, also in AutoCAD 3D Pro).



It's a very simple design to construct. Rodents caught in it aren't harmed in any way. So you can relocate them far away from your property, without any cruelty.

In my opinion, I have seen traps which killed, and traps which were humane. My personal observation is, that almost 2 to 3 times as many rats get caught in human traps, then in any other type.

Reason being, all animals have a 6th sense. So unless they are very very hungry or extremely desperate - They won't go inside a lethal trap, (as they can sense their own death). Since such animals are always fighting for survival in the wild. Means that their 6th sense is now ultra sharp - Exactly like soldiers in a special forces combat unit.

But in a humane trap, since they can't sense any death nearby. They easily fall victim to greed, and so keep getting caught over and over again!

We in modern human society forget all these skills as we grow. Take for example the fact that every newborn baby by instinct knows how to swim, and so isn't afraid of water at all - Yet so many people later as adults die because they don't know how to swim, (have forgotten)...

Yeah, it's the same thing. Which these animals don't forget, (while we do). But since you guys are now going to be working closely with nature. I think this piece of wisdom will go a long way in making you both into even better gardeners.

 

Thanks S-H, best of luck in your endeavors!

 

ya, I have some groundhogs that live under my shed, not allowed to kill them as per city bylaws so I put up a chicken wire fence around the garden, and I'm going to give them hell this weekend before I start planting, and start dumping used cat little in their hole, once a day every day for EVER!

lol, true story.