It's not a garden, it's a zoo...

[lisatheriveter]

I think that a lot of my discouragement about the garden comes from a lifetime of gardening in Houston. By this time of the year, I'm used to plants that have been growing since at least April, and vegetables that are ripening like mad. (I think the soil there was probably a lot more nutrient-enriched, too - at least where I was gardening.) I'm

Comments

[loree]

Compost likely won't be enough, particularly if it's mainly comprised of locally-produced ingredients. I've only learned this year that the local rains leach calcium and magnesium out of the soil, but leave potassium behind.

I've really seen the difference in my tomatoes -- the ones using planting mix and compost from this region are spindly and anemic-looking, and the ones I planted with Whitney Farms planting mix and fertilizer (produced somewhere in the midwest?) are about to take over the world.

If I haven't recommended it already, Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades by Steve Solomon (founder of Territorial Seed) has a lot of good gardening advice. He gets a little confused about correlation/causation in some of his anecdotes, but the actual gardening mechanics seem sound.

[lisatheriveter]

I was planning to use a mixture of llama beans and horse manure for the winter treatment, both from local ranches owned by friends, and to top dress with soil conditioner from Cedar Grobe and home-grown compost in the spring. This sheer size and number of beds precludes ordering in enough stuff from out of state, I think. Right now at least we simply can't afford it. However, I could certainly afford to treat with calcium and magnesiul specifically. I'll have to do some research on how to most easily and economically do that. Both the Grange and Territorial Seed carry stuff to do that with, I believe.

[loree]

If you've got that much to do and you're planning to be there for a few years, you're probably better off buying in bulk from a farm supply.

Solomon recommends a ratio of:

4 parts oilseed meal (cotton, canola, linseed, soybean, etc.)
1/2 part lime (mix of agricultural lime and dolomite)
1/2 part phosphate (rock or bone meal)
1/2 part kelp meal

He goes on to say that those are listed in order of importance, and you can grow a pretty good garden on just seed meal and lime if the whole lot is too expensive.

[staxxy]

magnesium is key to growing all over the state, honestly. I know a lot of orchardists around Yakima use it in the ground around their trees (it gives good FLAVOR as well as helping with growth).

And I totally second the suggest of mixing in midwest planting mix and fertilizer.

You can also contact the Washington Beef Coaliton at 206/444-2902 to ask them about manure for fertilization. I highly suggest getting some from Ellensburg.

[rev_sysyphus]

I don't know nothin about birthin no veggies...But I am impressed with all your efforts! Looks like some good advice here so hopefully your future efforts will yield a great crop :-)

[nbarnes]

I remember that dirt. It was... special.

Come take our horse byproduct!

[cresal]

*hugs for the happy-making!*

i don't know anything about gardening, but if you wanna come swim at a lake it's really nice here right now!! the water is warm, and it's supposed to be one of the chemically-cleanest lakes in seattle (since surrounded by private homes). for making of the happy?