Worth's Soil Building Thread.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Good thread educational and entertaining.
Worth how many years did you have to build the soil in your gardens ?

I just moved to NC (most southern part) with better than 90% native sandy soil, about 40 days ago. Now trying to make a garden in the sand for 2017.
I have no tiller, no truck but I do have a shovel.
That is not quite correct : I do have rakes, a wheelbarrow, tarps, fall leaves, pine straw ...free to rake.
But I have about 4 months to get started and the winter is coming.
So what is the solution ?
BTW: I have started with about 500 sq-ft area. The shovel is doing just fine.

Several years and it is somewhat thin but it works.

I read your other thread and am curious as to the sand you have.

Is it coarse or more like sandy loam.
One thing you will have going for you is it will hold moisture and not crack.
The cotton seed meal sounds good and liberal doses of fertilizer.
I have grown some killer tomato plants in this stuff.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Several years and it is somewhat thin but it works.

I read your other thread and am curious as to the sand you have.

Is it coarse or more like sandy loam.
One thing you will have going for you is it will hold moisture and not crack.
The cotton seed meal sounds good and liberal doses of fertilizer.
I have grown some killer tomato plants in this stuff.

Worth, the sand is very fine mostly. So you can call it sandy loam. There is some hums in it too. The area that I converted was grass and it and the surrounding grass was doing fine. here is a picture
nc-gar 4.jpg
There are several kinds of grass. One is Bermuda type grass. I took all of its roos out but buried other varieties.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Worth, the sand is very fine mostly. So you can call it sandy loam. There is some hums in it too. The area that I converted was grass and it and the surrounding grass was doing fine. here is a picture
Attachment 67244
There are several kinds of grass. One is Bermuda type grass. I took all of its roos out but buried other varieties.

I have been experimenting with using the grasses to build the soil. Seems to be working.