How Do You Maintain Your Raised Beds Through the Seasons?

[Oliver Buckle]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, nvidura! One compost I’ve found that works really well here is chicken manure. It has a strong smell at first, but once mixed into the soil, it does wonders for plant growth.

Chicken manure is great, but very strong. It can 'burn' plants, being moderate and mixing it in is the way to go.

 

[Meadowlark]

One compost I’ve found that works really well here is chicken manure. It has a strong smell at first,

In my experience, if you "hot" compost it, most of that smell goes away and you also kill pathogens and weed seeds.

 

[PGB1]

. I can relate to working with clay soil—adding organic matter makes such a difference.

Thanks a lot for sharing!

I can't take credit for thinking of that one. Nice people here taught me how to use organic matter to amend clay.

 

[PGB1]

One compost I’ve found that works really well here is chicken manure. It has a strong smell at first, but once mixed into the soil, it does wonders for plant growth.

One of my uncles worked for a pharmaceutical company. He'd bring home chicken manure from the test animal farm for the gardens, His garlic bulbs were larger than softballs and tomatoes were incredibly delicious. The roses were stunning and hardy.

I often wondered if the magic was the manure or the experimental drugs they fed the chickens in the lab. (Probably best left as an Unknown...)

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I can relate to working with clay soil—adding organic matter makes such a difference.

Another good tip for clay, I collect the balls that i get when hoeing, let them dry in a bucket in the greenhouse, and then when I have a fire tip them in when it's good and hot. The fired clay breaks up easily because of impurities, it's light and holds moisture because it isn't solid, and is a far better additive than the sand usually recommended, I find the solid silica gradually sinks away in the clay.