veg garden soil?

[420reaper]

I'm starting a good sized garden this year and was curious about the route to take as far as feed wise.was curious if i could use a soil mix like i would use for my med marijuana with wormcastings guano etc. will be growing corn, tomato,squash,carrots,herbs,garlic,artichoke and other stuff..any ideas

 

[420reaper]

 

[Seamaiden]

Yes, and don't forget to pay attention to possible Ca needs, especially if growing veggies prone to a problem called blossom end rot. I find it's most problematic on my peppers, some varieties of tomatoes, squash, and eggplant.

Artichokes take about 5 years to bear fruit, IIRC.

That looks like some California foothills to me. North, south or central?

 

[420reaper]

Thank you Seamaiden.yep right in the central coast S.L.O. County

 

[putembk]

Maden, I though blossom end rot was due to inconsistent watering on tomatoes. I don't think worm castings is necessary because if you have good soil there will be a ton of earthworms there anyway.
Funny, becoming an indoor farmer has made me a much better outdoor vegetable gardener.

As far as soil goes, I add a yard of planters mix and 1/2 y of barnyard mix every fall. After doing this for 17 years I have built the soil up about 18" from the ground which contains clay.

 

[Seamaiden]

From what I've been told re: BER on tomatoes, yes, it seems to be linked. However, I have found that I do have the problem with other veggies that are known to develop the issue, and it does correct when Ca is added. And I generally absolutely agree with you about the worms, but one of my gardening areas was built on top of a large sand filter (part of our engineered septic system, and the ONLY level area outside our home and garage itself), and that's encased in concrete, so I don't think worms are easily able to get into those particular beds. That's why I 'rescue' the worms that always erupt after a rain and throw them in those particular beds.

I've got a fraction of the time on my land you have on yours, I'm still working as best I can to get real soil built up on top of or in my clay. Mine doesn't just contain clay, it IS clay, pretty much nothing but.

 

[putembk]

Me too. There is so much Benoite in the soil that the homes in my development are built on caissons drilled into bedrock. It took years to build the soil up enough to rototill without churning up the clay into the soil. Now I can just lean on a shovel and the whole blade disappears into the soil.
Won't be long until the cold weather veggies are planted. Love it, something else to grow.

 

[MakinGoo]

This year I'm gunna grow my garden in a giant smart pot cuz the soil over here sucks.. It's crazy cuz the central valley is known 4 growing lots of good stuff but here in Fresno I got hard pan the stuff is like cement.. I'm not gunna grow in the ground this year cuz every year the gofers get 2 my plants..Them fuckers tunnal rite threw the hard pan.. I'm gunna use some hard pan mixed with my old soil from last years crop outside plus mix my coco from last harvest with some new soil 2 fill the giant smart pots.. It's 2 expensive 2 fill the big pots with new soil.. I hope this year my Fresno chillies & tomatoes grow good..

 

[420reaper]

@makingoo,we have the same problem,Gophers!! little bastards.thats why we are doing Raised beds with chicken wire on the bottom...Problem solved.As far as smart pots go I would imagine they would chew right through the bottom of those with no problem.

 

[MakinGoo]

@makingoo,we have the same problem,Gophers!! little bastards.thats why we are doing Raised beds with chicken wire on the bottom...Problem solved.As far as smart pots go I would imagine they would chew right through the bottom of those with no problem.

Damn I didn't even think of that.. Maybe I'll place my 100 gal smart pots ontop of some chicken wire.. Thanks 4 the heads up I would of been super mad if they ate my smart pot.. Raised beds sounds like a great idea also..

 

[Seamaiden]

May I suggest going a step further and using hardware cloth instead of just chicken wire? Fucking gophers from hell down in SoCal, chicken wire doesn't cut it, hardware cloth does. Keeps out voles and such, too.

 

[MakinGoo]

May I suggest going a step further and using hardware cloth instead of just chicken wire? Fucking gophers from hell down in SoCal, chicken wire doesn't cut it, hardware cloth does. Keeps out voles and such, too.

I'll look in2 this hardware cloth.. I've never heard of this stuff.. I'll google it.. Thanks 4 the great tip..this year I'm gunna have some great chillies, tomatoes, & strawberries.. I always wanted 2 grow a carrot maybe I'll try this year

 

[urbanite420]

Oh YEah baby! I'm rockin the A1 nutrient line with Caps Bennies on my veggie garden this year. I got jalapenos, tomatoes, cucumbers, chamomile, corn, honeydew melons and a couple more things I can;t think of right now. Should be a tasty year!

 

[Blaze]

Veggies do not feed nearly as heavy as cannabis. Guano is a waste on veggies IMO, they will do just fine with a cheap, balanced compost and a little manure. Using hydro nutes is also a waste (though IMO pretty much all bottled nutrients are a waste of money with any crop). Proper soil prep will feed the veggies all season, a little compost tea once in a while after they are planted should be all they really need in most cases. Also over-doing the nutrients will result in reduced fruit set and lower quality with veggies - less is more with them.

FYI most of the soil in the central valley sucks. It tends to be very Ca and Mg deficient and low in organic matter. Modern synthetic fertilizers and California's extensive water system that allows water to be brought in from other parts of the state are the main reason crops can be grown in the area. The quality of the soil in the central valley has been steadily declining, as has the production of most crops. It's a very serious issues that no one seems to want to talk about. The central valley was an uninhabitable desert up until the 20th century and for good reason. There's no water, no soil, and very limited plant and animal life.

 

[putembk]

Blaze, I agree with you. If you prep the soil properly the veggies in your garden are not like marijuana. I add 4way manure with potting soil in the fall and will amend some plants with cheep ferts in the spring. Never add anything to plants that flower last as they will skip fruit and go straight to flower. For example, broccoli, I added a heavy p to them last year and had beautiful flowering plants and no heads. Lettuce and spinach are the same. Leave them alone, they will do fine if you have good soil. I do like to experiment with my tomatoes however.

 

[Mogrow]

you have a beautiful place 420reaper. deer must be a problem, thus the high fence???? looks like you've spent alot of time and money on your garden spot, won't be "luck" if you have a bountiful harvest.
your area looks alot like texas hill country.
keep it green. mogrow

 

[420reaper]

Thank you all for your advice and help.ended up buying some Organic Compost at recycling center and getting kelloggs flower veg soil and steer manure.mixed with native crap dirt:(.they seem to be doing ok had some yellowing around leaf edges of squash.my garden beans yellowed up but seem to be getting greener.I'm thinking i made the soil a little hot:oops:.Gave everything a dose of A.C.T. yesterday.my tomatoes look a bit wilted but,it is 115 today:eek:

 

[Seamaiden]

They'll thank you for even more organic matter, 420. Try setting out some straw bales in a few places, too, to let decompose over the next year or two. Keep at it and you'll gain good earth.