Soil is Not Soil
May 22nd, 2012 // 8:13 pm @ admin
I’m back, with more of the history of our Garden Gate Group
Our first task was to find some soil that would catch the summer sun for at least seven hours a day. Fortunately our church had an ample stretch of grass covered play area for our children and the occasional outdoor event.
Our plans began with a giant takeover bid for the entire area, since we are right across from a great inner city park, our youngsters could easily play there?
Not so easily achieved, or, for the most part either desired or affordable!
We agreed that we should only bite off what we could chew and settled on a dog leg piece one hundred feet by about twenty four feet. We would receive at least 10 hours of summer sun and quite good protection from the prevailing winds.
Whilst the Skagit Valley is renowned for it’s delta soil, it doesn’t take long to leave it behind as you venture uphill! There we found much clay and stones.
We decided to plan our garden above the soil level and opted for the raised beds in a cedar planked twelve feet by four feet format ( making best use of the standard sixteen foot lumber that was readily available)
We were greatly helped by our neighbor Karon, who owned a small tractor with an earth moving blade. She leveled the site and built a future compost mound with the mix of grass and dandelions.
We sited the beds so that we had a two foot passage between them, to allow for easy wheelbarrow use. We found we had enough space for twelve box’s and a future Shed and herb garden
From a simple patch of grass to the raw BOX’S in place was a huge leap that seemed to happen all at once. Just one, very active day and a huge sense of achievement. Karon used her small loader to tip the new soil into it’s new ‘home’ immediately after we had the drip irrigation in place.
This was one of the largest tasks and we chose to engage a professional and do it right from the start. There os no doubt in my mind that this was the largest single cash outlay, over $3000. We could have managed with a hose, simple timer and the drip lines and fittings and saved over $2,500 but we had some early donations that covered the cost and we were completely
without any advisors to guide us.
In our part of the world ( the pacific northwest) it is wise to wait for the middle of April in order to avoid a late frost and so that the soil temperature gets above 50 degrees F.
We ordered all our seeds from territorial seeds in Oregon, a LOCAL company with a solid reputation who understood the climate.
Let me just confess that we had a pretty miserable harvest that first year.
The reason turned out to be the soil. We had assumed that it had come up from our world famous river delta. It had not! It was called Three Way and judged suitable for vegetables. When nothing seemed to grow well we decided to get a soil test. This proved just like bolting the barn door after the horse has gone!
Our soil was almost barren, low to miserable in almost every category. We had no matured compost and had been in such a hurry to get started that we made the classic mistake that ”soil is soil.” We learned our lesson the hard way!
This is one example of our our transparent reporting to each other on this site is of such value. You may have a source of good organically managed soil, great, or you too will be shipping in.
Category : Blog &The Ripple Effect
Barbara Giacometti
11 months ago
My husband recalls the look on my face when I picked up the garden shovel for the first time. It was not pretty. I was determined to make something out of the clay soil I found in the yard of our new home in Mississippi. I had my soil test. Had oily spots in the yard too. I purchased a raised bed, one at a time and was directed by my wise and insistent, 75 year old, Italian, neighbor on exactly how much soil and manure I needed for proper soil. By the Winter season, i was the proud owner of 8 lovely boxes in all shapes and sizes. The following spring, I was planting Purple Peruvian Potatoes as well as Radicchio Triestino (Northern Italian salad- seed variety), with fabulous success. By the third Spring, my husband had mistakingly covered the asparagus bed (up against a pretty wrought iron fence), with to much mulch. Imagine my surprise when White Asparagus came beaming out of the soil. The asparagus of course was unable to photosynthesize. (I at first thought it had some disease and was furious at my husband). At $8.99 a pound, I was the envy of the whole neighborhood.
It’s been 17 years since that first raised bed. I have learned alot and continue to learn something each and every day. I enjoy the challenges this new garden has brought me. I have never forgotten the wonderful direction of my wise Italian neighbor, who taught me to love my garden, even in Missisippi and that anything was possible, with strong will and determination, even so far away from my childhood home.
Linda Moore Kurth
11 months ago
Just learned that you are our “neighbor” here in Mount Vernon and on the same organic garden journey. We’ve recently moved here to a largish lot with lots of lawn. We’ve been taking classes in backyard conservation and gardening and will be building our raised garden beds soon. By now you may have found a good source for soil. We’ve been told that Skagit Soils has the best.
wendy
11 months ago
You sound a little like my, more recent, efforts at home. We are 480 feet above the flood plain of the Skagit Valley,half way between Seattle and Vancouver BC in Canada. The soil is stone and clay, like yours used to be. Also, like you, we did the raised beds, brought in soil and mixed it with a local concoction called Coco Coir, a wonderful mix of coconut fiber and many beneficial soil support ingredients. in that first year my neighbors REALLY helped me and I too have never looked back.
My only regret is that I may not get to have as many as 17 years before I have to hang up my trowel, although I did meet a 94 year old lady gardener last week who is still going strong, so all is not yet lost!
Graham
Jennifer Eastman-Smith
9 months ago
My mother in law also lives in Mt Vernon and grows quite a large garden, unfortunatly her son who i happen to be married to, does not like veggies and i mean does NOT like veggies. He is 31 yrs old and getting him to eat well is like getting a child to eat veggies.
I work at a feed and seed type of store here in Oregon and i enjoy growing things. My tomatoes are much enjoyed by my family.
wendy
9 months ago
Jennifer. You raise a HUGE issue! It is often true that the first awareness that we have as children that we can have a measure of control over our parents is when we object to a vegetable and cause our parent to over respond!
We have a dear friend who’s husband would only eat green leaf vegetables when they were set in lime jello! The poor man was 35 years old, or rather the poor wife?
It is also true that our taste buds do tend to mature and , due to a degree of willingness, to become ‘educated’.
My recent book attempts to find very simple tastes for very ordinary vegetables and I fervently hope that your husband might be willing to go for at least one ( of the 60) and then begin the process of leaving his young taste buds behind…as he has his parents?
Much joy in the journey. Graham.
Jennifer Eastman-Smith
8 months ago
I will try that!! you are right on the fact that our taste buds need to be educated. Blake still goes for mcdonalds as oppose to a fresh from the ground salad. As i said his mother lives in Mt Vernon and eats well so it is not like she fed him fast food 24/7 as a child. In fact he was only allowed fast food once a week at the most. He blames the military for his dislike for ‘green things’
Thank you for the idea, you’ve been an inspiration for me even as a very young child, my dad used to watch your shows and when i came along, we watched them together and would cook together in the kitchen after watching your programs which are some of my cherished memories of my dad who passed away in 2005. He owned two of your cook books too.
wendy
8 months ago
Jennifer. Having spent 10 years of my life in the armed services ( NZ and UK) I can only imagine your husband’s aversion to ‘green things’..they usually wind up looking like marine corps fatigues! Just keep at it, I know you will find a plant he can love, then, having established a beachhead you can then gradually win the war!
I hope this site will have tons of ideas from people just like you on how this can happen!
Graham
Jennifer Eastman-Smith
8 months ago
Still making slow progress with the husband and veggies. He now will eat a bit of salad after he noticed me eating one while dining at a popular fast food chain, he was eating his usual Quarter Pounder with an extra large Dr Pepper and fries.
Something else that I was thinking of. My mother works in a nursing home and once in awhile, i drop by to eat lunch with her. On this particular day, i got there as the residents were finishing their own lunches and i was noticing that there wasnt a fresh fruit or veggie on their tray, just freezer to microwave mystery meat is what it looked like. We worry about what our kids eat for lunch in school, shouldnt our seniors have access to healthy food even if they have to be in assisted living?? I dont think many people think about that. My husband’s grandmother who passed away this year, was in a nursing home and they would bring her food from home so she’d have a real, healthful meal straight from my mother in law’s garden.
wendy
7 months ago
Some years ago now I helped an assisted living institution come up with a way to involve their seniors and spark some interest in their food.
I suggested that the seniors who used to cook for themselves and family, and enjoyed doing it, could provide recipes for the kitchen. The ones that worked within supply , budget and skills, were put on the menu and credited to the senior concerned…who would then give a brief introduction and background for the recipe.
This was done once a week and the popular dishes were incorporated in the regular Menu.
When these dishes are accompanied by great vegetables there was increased consumption, less waste and far fewer complaints.
Now that was some time ago now and the entire staff has changed…but it is worth thinking about?
Keep going with husband. remind him of The Patriot Missiles that shot down the Scuds. That’s the same job that Anti Oxidants in fruit and vegetables do with free radicals in his body.
Who knows, ex military it could help?
Graham
Jerry Storer
5 months ago
I am new to the blog, but I used to skip school when I was a kid to watch Graham on PBS. I got very good at faking a stomach ache…. but I digress.
My wife and I are looking to move to the Washington State are and have a mini farm with exactly this plan. We are looking in the Olympic Peninsula, Chehalis areas and MAYBE possibly towards the Oregon Border.
It is great to see people actually doing what we are wanting to do. Right now, living in Phoenix, there is NO Soil at all and we live with our 3 kids in a townhome. We are experimenting with some small growing projects on our VERY small patio area. I have 5 pots of organinc broccoli going right now. We have grown tomatos in the past, but the sun in the summer really was BRUTAL to grow anything.
Anyway, just introducing myself and letting you know, I will be following along.
Erin
4 months ago
I am a new organic gardener on Vancouver Island. I have lived in this house since 1979. The ground turns to concrete in the summer, so I have never gardened. Last year I just had an overwhelming urge to grow my own food. I built a lasagna style bed and this year added several raised beds. I just read this post. Wow, timing, I have had no real success with the veggies, and it just occurred to me reading this, that my soil is probably dead. I have been amending through the winter and plan to have a truckload of manure delivered soon. But that whole cart and horse thing…. I WILL have the soil tested. Thank you Graham.
Erin
wendy
4 months ago
Dear Jerry, Please forgive the delay..that is the whole purpose for Christmas..to slow things down enough to notice…life?
We too have lived for several years under the more or less relentless sun which also scorched our feeble attempts at growing our own!
You should bite the bullet and make it up here. YES it does rain, in season, but the summers are just right for great plants and even not so clever Gardeners ( like me!).
Oregon is a splendid choice, so again is this area in the Skagit Valley. there are many coming to this area to begin to be the farmers of the future. Strengthening, encouraging and comforting each other in an almost pioneer style of great neighbors.
Do let us know of your plans and if we can be of any help.
Much joy in all you set your hearts to achieve, Graham
wendy
4 months ago
Good Stuff Erin, I mixed my AWFUL soil, mostly clay and green plastic netting( to hold the grass sod together years prior) and many stones. it was 4-5 inches deep and the gravel!
I mixed it 50/50 with a wonderful product called Coco Coir that is assembled in Canada and bagged in the Pacific NW by a good friend. The result was almost miraculous, do see the video on my site.
Suggest you add the manure and some coco coir and then have it tested professionally and, at the same time, with the same sample, test it yourself with one of the small, simple DIYS kits.
Compare the results from the two and in future you can save a bundle on testing…which is really too much for a non commercial grower?
I’d love to know how you get on…much success..oh, where are you on Vancouver Isl, it’s a favorite former sailing destination for us.
Benedicere! Graham.