Vegetable or Flower Beds

EXAMPLE FOR 10 x10 AREA

Locate the garden where it will get at least 5 to 6 hours of sun. Morning sun is best. Avoid areas with a lot of trees as the roots take moisture from the soil. Till or spade the area 6� to 9� deep. Do not do this when the ground is wet, as it will be difficult to work with later. Do not worry about a few surface weeds or grass clumps. 8 HP tillers will give you best results. However, it is not economical to rent a tiller for less than 400 sq. ft. Mix the following into the top 4� to 5� of soil and start planting.

• (1) 5 lbs. of hydrated lime (add this every other year or have soil tested for pH). Do not add lime if you are preparing a bed for acid-loving plants.

   

• (2) 5 lbs. of Merrifield Flowering Plant Food 10-18-12. (Add each year before planting.)

   

• (3) Three 40-lb. bags of cow manure. (Add each year before planting.)

   

• (4) 1 bale of 6 cu. ft peat moss OR 3 bags (2 cu. ft.) of Virginia SuperFines mulch OR Leaf Gro

   

• (5) 25 lbs. of Gypsum (Add this for the first couple of years.)

   

• (6) 1-2 pounds of Kelp and or seaweed.

RAISED BED FORMULA

Multiply (length) x (width) x (depth). Divide by 10, and then divide by 27. This will give you the cubic yards of soil needed. (Dividing by 10 allows for soil shrinkage/expansion)

• (1) Example: A bed 10�x5�x12� deep to be filled with soil 10� deep 10 x 5 x 10=500 500 / 10=50 50 / 27 = 1.8 cu. yd.

  Buy about 2 yd. of topsoil. Each bag contains 1 cu. ft. of soil, 40 bags equals about 1 cubic yard. Add about � the other ingredients listed above, because it�s only � the sq. ft. of surface area.

   

• (2) 2. Example: A bed 80�x4�x6� high to be filled with soil 4� deep. 80 x 4 x 4=1280 1280 / 10=128 128 / 27 = 4.7 cu. yd. of soil

  Buy about 5 cubic yards of topsoil. Add about 3 times the ingredients listed, as 320 sq. ft of surface area will require about three times that of 100 sq. ft.