In the fall, we clean up the beds and replant with a cover crop, usually a combination of rye grass, field peas, hairy vetch, and crimson clover. Once plants are in and growing, we feed them with a weekly application of compost tea.Īfter a bed of annual flowering plants such as bells of Ireland or snapdragons finishes producing, we mow the remaining foliage down and take up the fabric, pull back the drip irrigation lines, and amend the bed using the same process outlined above-before replanting with a second crop. Learn more about using landscape fabric to control weeds.įor beds that aren’t covered in landscape fabric, we mulch new plantings with straw, shredded leaves, or grass clippings to help retain moisture and suppress weeds. To control weeds, we cover most of our beds with landscape fabric with preburned holes. If you have clay soil, you could probably get away with only two or three lines. Because our soil is so sandy, we put down four lines of drip tape, 1 foot (.3 m) apart. We then till ingredients into the soil and lay irrigation lines. It may not be available in your area, but you should be able to find something similar if you give the specifications to your local feed or garden store. ![]() Our favorite fertilizer is Nature’s Intent (7-2-4), which is made from natural ingredients including bone meal, cottonseed meal, feather meal, kelp meal, and rock powders. One 50 lb (22.6 kilo) bag covers about five of our 4- by 70-foot (1.2 m x 21.3 m) growing beds. We then sprinkle a generous dusting of a high-quality organic fertilizer at a rate of 1.5 lbs per 10 linear feet (0.68 kilos/3 meters) which, for us, is 10.5 lbs per 70-foot-long (4.76 kilos per 21.3 meter) row. If you have heavier clay soil, you can cut the amount of compost you apply in half. ![]() We purchase it by the dump truck load, and it runs $15 to $17 a yard, delivered. Our favorite compost is made locally from recycled plant debris. To start, we put down a thick 3- to 4-inch (7.5 to 10 cm) layer of compost across the top of each bed, making sure to spread it out as evenly as possible. The same treatment goes for our greenhouse plantings. In addition to applying the soil lab’s recommended nutrients in the fall, we also heavily amend each bed before planting in early spring and again each time we replant throughout the season. We add so much organic matter each year that I often feel as if we’re feeding an elephant. In addition to being very hungry, our soil has difficulty holding water and nitrogen. Our farm is situated on top of a sand bar (note the silver shine to the soil above), and while its ability to drain freely is wonderful in early spring when most other fields are unworkable, it definitely comes with its own set of challenges. ![]() Fall is a great time to add rock powders and trace minerals so they’ll have time to dissolve into the soil before spring planting. Once we have the information back from the lab, we set about making necessary improvements. I always make sure to let the lab know that we farm organically so they don’t suggest chemical fertilizers. This test measures everything from the percentage of organic matter to the pH of the soil, plus any lacking trace minerals.Ī good lab will give you recommendations on which amendments to apply to bring your soil into good working order. A good soil test normally runs around $50-money well spent in the long run. The information from the test gives us a broad overview of our soil health and what we can do to improve it. I’ve found that the old adage, “you get out what you put in,” sums up our approach to growing here at Floret.Ĭover crops, compost, rock powders, natural fertilizers, mulch, compost tea, and various foliar treatments are all part of our fertility toolbox.Įvery fall we take soil samples from our fields and greenhouses and send them to the local soil lab for testing. With so much beauty going out the door, we worked diligently not only to replace the biomass, but also to build and improve the soil every season. Before we expanded our farm, we grew an insane amount of flowers on our 2-acre plot of land.
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