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Nanoose

How is the soil in your garden?

My soil is so rich in nutrients that you could probably eat it and survive on it in an emergency. I'v been adding mulches and natural soil conditioners  to it for over 20 years, When I first started the garden the soil was horrible but now it looks like the soil you buy in a bag at a fancy garden shop. Cheers!

Posted - March 1, 2017
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Responses


  • 10026
    Hi Nanoose ~ My soil is so bad it makes your skin crack with dryness just looking at it.  It has a clay base and a ton of gophers looking for any bugs that live in it.  Even after  Rotatilting mulch, garden soil and premixed Miracle Grow, the soil still is bombarded by moles in the underground and the birds on the top.  The only thing I have the ability to grow is geraniums.  Thank goodness for the hardy geraniums.  I am sad about the situation.  I wished I could have a beautiful garden and even in pots, they get demolished. 
    However, I take joy in hearing yours in beautiful!!  Good for you and Cheers!!  Big smiles and happy gardening! :) :)
      March 1, 2017 9:36 AM MST
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  • What a lovely and unusual question :)  My soil is pretty good thank you.. I can take NO credit for this as although I am a gardener by nature, and have even been employed as a gardener - I am lazy with my own garden. It's just naturally nice soil :)  It's a little toward the clay side but that's a good thing as it holds moisture and nutrients.. 

    I grew up with a garden with a very heavy clay soil and as a kid I liked to try to garden.. digging it was a complete nightmare!  
      March 1, 2017 9:48 AM MST
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  • 10026
    Exactly!  I've have dulled many shovels and have had back pains trying to get through this soil.  I tried and tried and after about a year I thought, what is going to happen when the flowers and plants need to grow past what I have nurtured them in?  The soil I have made for them is kicked around by the gophers and eaten by the squirrels  and birds. The soil out there isn't going to be able to support where it needs to grow.  It has been kind of a defeating purpose.  But, I did find ice plant to grew pretty well, too.  It needs a little more water than I can feel good about giving.  But, little spurts of it work in some places.  At any rate, I keep trying to have a colorful hill. :)  I'm glad you have a natural garden that maintains itself.  You must send good vibes to it.  You do care and I know the plants and flowers respond well to that.  Have a great day! This post was edited by Merlin at March 1, 2017 10:18 AM MST
      March 1, 2017 10:17 AM MST
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  • 11110
    Ya I bet moles can do a lot of damage they eat worms and worms are really beneficial to a garden. Geraniums are really nice they keep flowering for months plus it's easy to make a cutting and get more plants. Cheers!
      March 1, 2017 9:52 AM MST
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  • It seems to be pretty good, but I haven't done anything to amend it. Partially because I only like growing California natives at this point and they prefer soil that's left alone. 
      March 1, 2017 11:00 AM MST
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  • Hard white clay with some silt.   Took a lot of doing to get a good mix for the garden area.
      March 1, 2017 11:11 AM MST
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  • 6988
    I live in the run-off zone of the great glacier of 10,000 years ago. This soil, found across the entire Great Lakes  region, is especially good for growing tomatoes. What a flavor treat!
      March 1, 2017 2:04 PM MST
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  • My garden is set on a shelf of sandstone. At it's deepest the soil was only about 15 inches or so and in other places the sandstone came through the surface. So we built it up, enriched it, and it's now good enough and deep enough to grow anything. 

    The cypress in the picture below was just as twig when we planted it struggled for 12 years to reach a height of only 6 feet. Then it got it's toes through a crack in the sandstone, found water underneight, and gave a pretty good imitation of the Apollo launch at Cape Canaveral. Today it's humongous. 

      March 1, 2017 3:45 PM MST
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