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12-07-2010, 07:03 PM
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7 posts, read 14,432 times
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Long time lurker first time poster here. I am planning ahead for the growing season in the spring and need to get some good answers to something. My raised bed vegetable gardens kept drying out too fast this year. What amendments should I add to the soil in order to maintain more consistent moisture? I made a homemade soil mix and evidently made it too light with too much drainage.
Any help will be a lot of help. Thx.
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12-07-2010, 08:13 PM
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Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,307 posts, read 36,835,941 times
Reputation: 7144
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Triangle Explorer
Long time lurker first time poster here. I am planning ahead for the growing season in the spring and need to get some good answers to something. My raised bed vegetable gardens kept drying out too fast this year. What amendments should I add to the soil in order to maintain more consistent moisture? I made a homemade soil mix and evidently made it too light with too much drainage.
Any help will be a lot of help. Thx.
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One "amendment" would be to bury a "U" of soaker hose about 4 to 6 inches under the surface of the dirt. When surface watering, you lose most of your water to evaporation and getting water to deep roots is not an exact science. You get a lot more bang for your buck if you can skip the whole surface absorption thing... |
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12-08-2010, 04:55 PM
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7 posts, read 14,432 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimboburnsy
One "amendment" would be to bury a "U" of soaker hose about 4 to 6 inches under the surface of the dirt. When surface watering, you lose most of your water to evaporation and getting water to deep roots is not an exact science. You get a lot more bang for your buck if you can skip the whole surface absorption thing...
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I did not know soaker hoses could be buried. Thank you for the suggestion. |
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12-08-2010, 06:02 PM
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Location: Maine
3,044 posts, read 2,185,211 times
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Vermiculite is a good amendment that helps hold water and peat moss also.
I believe the recipe from Square foot gardening is 1/3 peat moss 1/3 course vermiculite 1/3 compost.
bill
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12-11-2010, 08:49 AM
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25,626 posts, read 33,581,735 times
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If the native soil you have if clay like in composition that would be good to add into the beds as it retains moisture. Also most garden materials suppliers have clean loam for sale that usually is a great solution for your problem. I would go drip irrigation and micro sprays for the watering.
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12-11-2010, 04:22 PM
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7 posts, read 14,432 times
Reputation: 12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bulldogdad
If the native soil you have if clay like in composition that would be good to add into the beds as it retains moisture. Also most garden materials suppliers have clean loam for sale that usually is a great solution for your problem. I would go drip irrigation and micro sprays for the watering.
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I was thinking about trying to install quick connects to each of the beds, with micro sprays in each. This way I water just where I want to. |
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12-31-2010, 10:51 PM
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32 posts, read 113,989 times
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