Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Raised Bed Gardening
As the snow melts, and the Redbuds start to bloom, many people get a full on case of Spring Fever.  As the ground temperature begins to warm up, raised bed gardening allows for a quicker way to curb the need to see green. 
Whether it’s cleaning up from last year or creating a new design from scratch, several key factors should be considered when planning for a raised bed garden.   Eradicate existing vegetation, and turn the ground every time before planting.  Add high quality organic matter every time you turn the turn the ground.  Do not use landscape fabric under raised beds, as this limits root growth and prevents the added soil from blending with the existing soil. 
For new raised beds, Soil Mender’s Raised Bed Mix is an excellent choice.  This unique blend  provides a choice  mix of topsoil, cotton burr compost, humate, coir and several other all-natural and organic  ingredients.   When used with a natural fertilizer such as Yum Yum Mix or a traditional fertilizer like Fertilome’s Gardener’s Special, everything necessary for a healthy and vibrant garden will be available to the first planting of the new garden.
When preparing an established garden for a new season, Soil Mender’s Garden Soil Builder helps replenish nutrients with vital organic and biological material.  This also has a naturally occurring  and measurable amount of fertilizer, and alfalfa meal containing  Triacontanol.  These both contribute to bigger and better plants. 

Finally, add high quality compost after every crop, not just every season.  Minerals and nutrients used during each crop need to be replenished in order to ensure that they are present each and every time a new planting takes place.  Some people choose to plant cover crops such as rye, turnips, buckwheat or peas and oats.  Whatever the choice, the health of the soil directly contributes to the health of the plants.   

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