Outdoor preping for next season IDEAS PLS

[buggz]

normally i just pump the soil with dynamic lifter and lime two months before planting.. make swales, put a few inches of leaf matter on top for mulch. i also make sure to dig up the soil really good. i've stopped digging individual holes and just dig up a whole patch 10 metres square.

 

optionally you can:

 

add in some sulfate of potash at first to help the plants resists disease

 

add in some perlite to aid airation

 

some slow relase "all in one ferts" are good too

 

 

 

essentially i learned that excellent soil preparation in advance, and watering is the key to having success

[bush buggered]

hey shithappens. the nessasary nutes i'm sure you know about. i think the main thing is water holding stuff in the soil. i use truck loads of mushroom compost, and water crystals. if you let the mushroom compost dry out somewhere its as light as. if you try carrying it wet, you'll bust your guts.. i guess thats testimony to its water holding qualities. i usually throw in stacks of organic nutes in the prep, then i just use miracle grow through the season. good luck with it mate....cheers..B.B.

[naturalmystic]

In the past i just dig up a big square patch and hoe the soil really well so its light and fluffy , dynamic lifter i use sometimes aswell as super phosphate , another thing is i throw a heap of dog crap around the plot , it definately keeps roos and things away because this year i didnt bother doin that and most of my plants were eaten and that has never happened before , i tribute that to the dog crap , another one is human hair but dont use your own , just make ita place where animals wont like etc , and when there young use some snail and slug pellets , i usually make borders with natural fallen trees not fencing as its sticks out , if you do burn it first . Do everything by yourself also as then you cant get blamed or blame your mate for when shit happens and limit your visits as much as possible and preferably early morning and scope things out before approaching plot etc

[Shithappens]

Cheers all for the help !!

 

Im going up around easter to do some digging and mixing and have figgured that since i have plenty of time till i actually plant I might see what i can add to the plots locally instead of bringing shitloads in.

 

So what I have fiis that there is different plant matter in the bush much of which would compost quickly before its planting time (I was thinking Aug Sep plant) so maybe i could use raw matter to increase the soil potencey.

 

Please correct any of the below

 

Now i think Nitrogen is needed to help compost green matter so I have figgured to mix as much non wood style green matter such as grasses and broadleaf plants etc keeping away from the sturdier natives into the soil and giving it a dose of Nitrogen to speed up the compost process (roughly ill aim at 30 green matter 70% soil)

 

At this stage ill give a good water with water crystals mixed in and cover with plastic sheet to hold the moisture in and then camouflaged on top. Would that be better or worse stopping fresh water getting in??

 

I know there is a science behind the compost matter and the final soil nutrient levels but what im hopping is that someone here can help with this part.

 

I do intend to add the manure in at time of planing but see as since i have time the added compost wont hurt at all.

 

Another factor i have bounced around in my head is the addition of some worms on this first compost it couldnt hurt and might be worth a plastic boundary around each plot 2 foot down from top to keep the little suckers in there as much as possible

 

I dont mind the work as long as i know its good for them and since im gunna predig the plots at easter figure it cant hurt for the minimal cost

[naturalmystic]

Nitrogen is needed for vegetive growth , nitrogen isnt used to speed up composting as far as im aware , its actually a by product of compost , look from what youve just said , id say go up there with ya bags of compost till that thoroughly through ya soil and then sprinkle handfuls of garden lime over the soil once finished and water all that in . The thing is composted vegetation can take 12 months to break down its just not convenient for what you need , even alot of manure can take this long particularly chook crap , so forget that one too , your limited now ... you have maybe6 months that means cow crap sheep crap which wont burn , even horse crap takes a long time and is acidic like chook ......... thats why dynamic lifter is good its chook crap thats lost its acidity and provides nitrogen at steady rates without burning plants ..the lime is used to break things down in soil even a dead animal can be broken down this way with lime .. but you just need some form of manure or good premade compost even ,water crystals garden lime , and after all that ph test it a month or so before planting seedlings and if to acidic spread some lime around etc , if alkaline use something like potash to balance things out.....thats what id do anyway

[Ozzy420]

The way i use to grow in the bush was dig a hole throw a dead chook in the bottom fill with a good potting mix give it at least 3 months to brake down a bit then plant the plants, it has never done me wrong.

 

Some thing eals i found using the dead chook was even in the hottest and driest times of the year i found that every thing around the plants would be wilting and dieing but the plants would be booming, the dead chook rotting seems to hold moisture that the plants can feed off until u next water em or there is some rain, growing in the bush like that has all ways worked a treat for me...

[rex]

i would not put local leaf matter in your mix as it will grow and steal water and minrals i would take some green leaf potting mix up to your site then dig or scrap the top soil off then dig deep into the clay harder removeing the

ground then mix top soil potting mix dynamic lifter some slow release ie ozmcoat and heaps of water crystals then leave for a month. then plant and once this is done and your plants are a foot high then i would hit them with nutritech triple ten liquid fert and or seasol or mircale grow or all of them over time . i would also use the hard dirt to make a weed and water pad around your plat base leaveing a 6 inch hole in the center and not going to the out side of your hole so it shades your soil stopping evaporation and controls your weeds and as for animal control see the mythbuster section as the only way i know to stop them is to kill and eat them fuckers

Edited March 1, 2007 by rex

[Shithappens]

hehe hey i like the chook idea now just to figure out which ones dont lay anymore!!

 

I did a bit of a look and fond the following and yeh its a damm science all of its own so i might go for a bit more of a good soil closer to planting but ill still turn over the area

 

http://www.compostguide.com/ is where i found this

 

Compost Materials

 

Almost any organic material is suitable for a compost pile. The pile needs a proper ratio of carbon-rich materials, or "browns," and nitrogen-rich materials, or "greens." Among the brown materials are dried leaves, straw, and wood chips. Nitrogen materials are fresh or green, such as grass clippings and kitchen scraps.

 

Mixing certain types of materials or changing the proportions can make a difference in the rate of decomposition. Achieving the best mix is more an art gained through experience than an exact science. The ideal ratio approaches 25 parts browns to 1 part greens. Judge the amounts roughly equal by weight. Too much carbon will cause the pile to break down too slowly, while too much nitrogen can cause odor. The carbon provides energy for the microbes, and the nitrogen provides protein.

 

Leaves represent a large percentage of total yard waste. If you can grind them in a gas or electric chipper shredder or mow over them, they will reduce in size making them easier to store until you can use them in the pile, and they will decompose faster - an issue with larger leaves. They are loaded with minerals brought up from the tree roots and are a natural source of carbon. A few leaf species such as live oak, southern magnolia, and holly trees are too tough and leathery for easy composting. Avoid all parts of the black walnut tree as they contain a plant poison that survives composting. Eucalyptus leaves can be toxic to other plants. And avoid using poison oak, poison ivy, and sumac.

Pine Needles need to be chopped or shredded, as they decompose slowly. They are covered with a thick, waxy coating. In very large quantities, they can acidify your compost, which would be a good thing if you have alkaline soils.

 

Grass Clippings break down quickly and contain as much nitrogen as manure. Since fresh grass clippings will clump together, become anerobic, and start to smell, mix them with plenty of brown material. If you have a lot of grass clippings to compost, spread them on the driveway or other surface to bake in the sun for at least a day. Once it begins to turn pale or straw-like, it can be used without danger of souring. Avoid grass clippings that contain pesticide or herbicide residue, unless a steady rain has washed the residue from the grass blades.

 

Kitchen Refuse includes melon rinds, carrot peelings, tea bags, apple cores, banana peels - almost everything that cycles through your kitchen. The average household produces more than 200 pounds of kitchen waste every year. You can successfully compost all forms of kitchen waste. However, meat, meat products, dairy products, and high-fat foods like salad dressings and peanut butter, can present problems. Meat scraps and the rest will decompose eventually, but will smell bad and attract pests. Egg shells are a wonderful addition, but decompose slowly, so should be crushed. All additions to the compost pile will decompose more quickly if they are chopped up some before adding.

 

To collect your kitchen waste, you can keep a small compost pail in the kitchen to bring to the pile every few days. Keep a lid on the container to discourage insects. When you add kitchen scraps to the compost pile, cover them with about 8" of brown material to reduce visits by flies or critters.

 

Wood Ashes from a wood burning stove or fireplace can be added to the compost pile. Ashes are alkaline, so add no more than 2 gallon-sized buckets-full to a pile with 3'x3'x3' dimensions. They are especially high in potassium. Don't use coal ashes, as they usually contain large amounts of sulfur and iron that can injure your plants. Used charcoal briquettes don't decay much at all, so it's best not to use them.

 

Garden Refuse should make the trip to the pile. All of the spent plants, thinned seedlings, and deadheaded flowers can be included. Most weeds and weed seeds are killed when the pile reaches an internal temperature above 130 degrees, but some may survive. To avoid problems don't compost weeds with persistent root systems, and weeds that are going to seed.

 

Spoiled Hay or Straw makes an excellent carbon base for a compost pile, especially in a place where few leaves are available. Hay contains more nitrogen than straw. They may contain weed seeds, so the pile must have a high interior temperature. The straw's little tubes will also keep the pile breathing.

 

Manure is one of the finest materials you can add to any compost pile. It contains large amounts of both nitrogen and beneficial microbes. Manure for composting can come from bats, sheep, ducks, pigs, goats, cows, pigeons, and any other vegetarian animal. As a rule of thumb, you should avoid manure from carnivores, as it can contain dangerous pathogens. Most manures are considered "hot" when fresh, meaning it is so rich in nutrients that it can burn the tender roots of young plants or overheat a compost pile, killing off earthworms and friendly bacteria. If left to age a little, however, these materials are fine to use.

 

Manure is easier to transport and safer to use if it is rotted, aged, or composted before it's used. Layer manure with carbon-rich brown materials such as straw or leaves to keep your pile in balance.

 

Seaweed is an excellent source of nutrient-rich composting material. Use the hose to wash off the salt before sending it to the compost pile.

 

The list of organic materials which can be added to the compost pile is long. There are industrial and commercial waste products you may have access to in abundance. The following is a partial list: corncobs, cotton waste, restaurant or farmer's market scraps, grapevine waste, sawdust, greensand, hair, hoof and horn meal, hops, peanut shells, paper and cardboard, rock dust, sawdust, feathers, cottonseed meal, blood meal, bone meal, citrus wastes, coffee, alfalfa, and ground seashells.

 

This is more of a pile rundown but since im basically making one was worth the post here for those that wish to add to there soil for years to come

 

The main reason i though nitrogen would help would have been the bloke i trusted that said i would need to feed the pine needles nitrogen to get them to breakdown would have been meaning that the soil it would create would need nitrogen??

[naturalmystic]

id avoid any pine needles all together , plus its known for carrying possible mites , its too acidic and could stunt growth .......in a bush situation you really just want to be trying to improve the existing soil thats there , you dont want to be lugging bags of soil anywhere

[67Special]

Hey shithappens

 

I lined some of my holes with black plastic this year and found that they retained considerably more moisture than the others

Mine are also on a slope, so I contoured the soil for about a metre each side of the hole to catch extra runoff when it rains.

 

When turning the soil in winter I add dolomite, cow shit, compost and worms and cover it all with a thick mulch (even if it's just surrounding grass/weeds). The whole lot gets another tilling and dose of dolomite and compost tea etc. at planting time.

 

Hope this helps mate

and best of luck with it