Between rows ? ?

[pixie N.C.]

Question, here in the sandhills of N.C., our soil is basically sandy I've been amending soil in garden for 2 yrs now, and I don't have the money to buy a dump truck load of compost/rich soil, my idea this yr. is if I lay news paper then a layer of shredded leaves then a layer of grass clippings between rows and around cucumber mounds. do y'all think this is a good idea,or will it cause some kind of future problem ? ? ?

Happy Mothers Day
Mike

 

[Chuck]

Question, here in the sandhills of N.C., our soil is basically sandy I've been amending soil in garden for 2 yrs now, and I don't have the money to buy a dump truck load of compost/rich soil, my idea this yr. is if I lay news paper then a layer of shredded leaves then a layer of grass clippings between rows and around cucumber mounds. do y'all think this is a good idea,or will it cause some kind of future problem ? ? ?

Happy Mothers Day
Mike

I think it's a good idea. It will decompose fairly quickly and you can turn it under at your leisure. Then when the season is over move your rows to where you turned all that organic matter under and next year you just do the same thing

 

[DeborahJane]

Hi Mike. When I first started gardening a friend advised me to cover sile with newspaper, weeds and all and the cover with mulch and it has been very successful. The soil under neath has improved with no additives.

 

[DeborahJane]

Cover soil that is

 

[Beth_B]

Mike, google lasagna or sheet composting, that's what you're describing. Like this:
http://ucanr.edu/sites/MarinMG/?story=662

At a previous house where I had sandy soil, I did this for several years. At the end of each growing season, I spread out a mixture of chicken or horse manure, lawn cuttings, fall leaves and some kitchen waste and dug it lightly into the soil. By the following spring it was well into the decomposing process and I had a really fertile veggie garden.