Garden expert needed

[Gone Disney]

I really need the advice of any garden enthusiast or veteran. You don't need to be a so called expert.


Here goes...

I'm starting a late vegetabale garden. I have moved the planting beds and order some bulk materials. I have had horrible luck with the local soil here and not to mention, due to some issues I was unable to continue my compost pile over the last year. On one of our last trips to WDW I purchased I gardening book that gives some tips and other information. Well, in this wonderful book it lists a recipe for soil as being 50% peat 40% sand 10% bark chips. If I use this recipe I will spend well over $1,000.00 on the soil, which is kinda pricey. What I was thinking of doing is 60% mushroom compost 30 % sand 10% peat. Has anyone ever tried a mix like this? I'd be very interested in any comments.


Thanks
Patti

 

[UrsulasShadow]

http://www.gardening-guides.com/gardening-alternatives/layered-lasagna-gardening.php

I think the concept works well with many additives. Personally, I don't like pure peat...I'd add a layer with more nutrients, like your mushroom compost. But I can attest to the effectiveness of newspaper as a good weed supressant and carbon source. Avoid glossy inserts.

I never add sand to my soil. I live near the coast...my soil IS sand! But if you have poor drainage and heavy clay soil, the addition of clean sand is a good idea, but compost also loosens the soil and helps drainage, as does peat moss. Whatever you can get most cheaply would be good. Just remember that peat, sand, newspaper is nutrient poor, and you will need to add some source of nutrients. Also, the breakdown of both wood chips and newspaper ties up nitrogen, so you may need to boost the nitrogen level with the addition of a good balanced organic fertilizer.

 

[jann1033]

maybe i am not talking about what you are but mushroom compost in my area is left overs after the mushrooms are grown and not particularly nutrient rich...most people i know use it as a substitute for mulch..it can add organic mass but not much in the way of nutrients. so it's not compost like what you make in a compost pile, basically it's what you would get if you scraped your compost off your garden beds at the end of the growing season and sold it.