Beginner question for #grownostr #homesteading #gardening. Is 1 part yard soil, 1 part peat moss, 1 part compost, and 1 part sand a good mix for growing veggies (peppers, green beans, carrots, possibly potatoes) in 5gal buckets? Do I even need the sand?
Discussion
Zone 5b/6a.
Partial sun (trying to figure out which side of the house will be best to place them. There may be a later post about this decision)
You don't need the sand.
Thanks! My intuition was telling me that was a little unnecessary
It might be worth doing a simple soil test on your yard soil if you haven't already. Its basically breaking up your soil and shaking in a mason jar with water to allow it to settle so you can see the silt, sand, clay organic matter composition of your soil.
Take a picture too and then you can compare it to what you have to the soil in a few years time.
This is a great idea! Tho, hopefully in a few years time I will not be living where I do. I currently rent in a big city, and Iād like to get out of here as soon as reasonably possible.
Sand can be a useful component in a garden soil mix, but it is not always necessary or desirable. The addition of sand can improve drainage and aeration in heavy, clay soils, but if the soil is already well-draining, adding sand can create problems by increasing the soil's alkalinity and reducing its ability to hold moisture and nutrients.
You should be able to grab a handful, squeeze it and it should be able hold its shape. If it crumbles too easily then there is too much sand. If it does not crumble at all then sand would be a favorable addition.
This is a great easy test! I will definitely be doing this. The soil I will be using is actually what I dug up when I uncovered a path that none of my roommates knew was there š I idk how long it has been covered but there was roughly 1-4inches of dirt covering it depending on where you stuck the shovel in š
So, the dirt I have has been sitting in buckets all winter in my covered porch and I just went out to do the hand squeeze test and the dirt just fell right apart of the most part. Very dry. I would think during summer it would hold a little better as it would be exposed to regular rain, but it is not clay AT ALL
Sorry I should of mentioned you would want to moisten it a bit to do the hand squeeze test. There is also a technique where you pinch it with your thumb and index finger you could probably find online. Either way, moisten the soil and compress it and it should hold together a bit but fall apart with a little pressure.