Soil compaction in walking rows

[WeedFreak78]

I put in a new big veggie garden this year. After I got it set up, we had some heavy rain, I had to lay plywood strips on the ground to walk between my rows to plant, it was so muddy. Im running raised bed rows, appx 24-30" wide and around 20" tall, the beds were fine, but the walking paths became heavily compacted. I've never had this issue before in my old garden. Should I loosen up the soil in the walking rows? Does it not matter?

 

[calliandra]

Sounds like your soil is lacking in organic matter, that's when it gets so compacted and can't absorb rainfall like that.

As for your paths, I'd mulch them thickly, you could use woodchips, or sow clovergrass you can then harvest mulch from too. That should take care of the muddiness there.

 

[Bareback]

I mulch heavy between my raised beds. The thick blanket softens the impact plus controls weeds, and all the other benefits of organic material. Prevent water lost to run off and evaporation.....

 

[Growdict]

my raised beds are 36" wide, but i never walk on them. i can reach from either side so i dont compact them. i have one 7'x7' bed as well and I put retaining wall stones interspaced down the middle so i can walk in there.

 

[WeedFreak78]

Plenty of organic matter, the raised beds drain fine and aren't compacting. I can push my arms in almost to my elbows in the raised beds without much effort. The paths only got compacted from walking on it while they were heavily saturated. I sank in almost a foot without the wood...lol. This whole area was rototilled to almost 30", right down to the sand/ gravel layer under the top soil. First and last time it'll be tilled, now I'll just amend and layer with material.

So are 24-30" wide by almost 30" deep of loose soil rows good enough or are my compacted 16"ish wide walkways going to inhibit roots?

I've never mulched my walkways, just my beds.

 

[Bareback]

I've never mulched my walkways, just my beds.[/QUOTE]

This is the part I'm saying to mulch.
It helps with compaction and run off.

 

[ROOSTERMAN]

Did you tamp back down the earth before you planted ? How long ago did you till ?

The rows I walk on always get more compacted, not enough to causes any issues tho. You can place down stone pavvers if you like

 

[ANC]

Calcium is also very important for loose soil as well as humates.

 

[WeedFreak78]

I've never mulched my walkways, just my beds.

This is the part I'm saying to mulch.
It helps with compaction and run off.[/QUOTE]
I'm low on material right now. I've just started collecting grass and leaves again after a couple year hiatus from outdoor gardens. I'll see about raking some leaves up from the woods around the house, it's some good stuff.

 

[WeedFreak78]

Did you tamp back down the earth before you planted ? How long ago did you till ?

The rows I walk on always get more compacted, not enough to causes any issues tho. You can place down stone pavvers if you like

I didn't tamp anything, it rested for 3 weeks after the last till.

 

[ANC]

Check up terra preta on youtube.

 

[WeedFreak78]

Calcium is also very important for loose soil as well as humates.

I've been issuing this.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.jonathangreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/magicallabel.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwiF5PDTlsDUAhWJ7D4KHT3ECDIQFggnMAE&usg=AFQjCNEvZMskJ8uYZq_xON6UQH1ykbJ2ZA

 

[WeedFreak78]

Check up terra preta on youtube.

I saw a, Nat Geo I think, show that talked about that. It's fairly fertile old farm land to start with. It's going to take me a few years, but there will be quite a bit of organic matter going in. Leaves, grass, yard waste, kitchen compost, ash/ coal from burning brush. It's in a depressed area of yard and I want to build up the whole thing another foot at least. I figure something like 80-100 yrs of soil/ compost to get where I want, lol. I've already started stripping the heavily amended soil from my old garden to move to the new area. That should be about 30 yds, I have around 20 yds of leaf and grass compost from 20+years of yard cleanups. Some of that will get spread around over the season, then I'll dump the rest on in the fall. If I can get my truck running this year, I'll get a few bed loads of manure at the dairy.

 

[ANC]

Try and cook some of the charcoal with some compost tea before using it. It is important to load it up with nutrients before adding to soil.
It is a very good filter otherwise and will filter nutrients right out of your soil if you just add it to poor soil.

 

[WeedFreak78]

Try and cook some of the charcoal with some compost tea before using it. It is important to load it up with nutrients before adding to soil.
It is a very good filter otherwise and will filter nutrients right out of your soil if you just add it to poor soil.

I had read about how it holds nutes. When I burned my brush there in the spring, i soaked the pile down with a heavy mix of fish and seaweed fert after it cooled, then raked it around before I tilled the area. Hopefully it's good enough.

I'm planning on getting an airline run out from my garage in the next few weeks so I can brew teas right at the compost area by the garden. I've sworn by them for years.

 

[ANC]

I've seen people just stew it for a week in a wheelbarrow with chicken manure and some other organic ferts.
You wet it, stir it, and let the charcoal sit for about 3 days, when you stir it again it will break apart.
Now add your crap, wet it down again and let it stand for a week.

The charcoal in the ground will keep on collecting nutrients as long as it is in there, which is better than it just draining away in the rainy season. As you topdress the soil it will keep on loading the charcoal.

 

[ROOSTERMAN]

I didn't tamp anything, it rested for 3 weeks after the last till.

Depending on your climate and soil structure that could be a big issue

 

[WeedFreak78]

Depending on your climate and soil structure that could be a big issue

I planted seeds and transplanted tomatoes 10 days ago and everything but my carrots are up and doing great. I just put my peppers in 2 days ago and then we had torrential downpours yesterday, they look a little droopy but I'm not too worried. I've worked other areas of the yard the same way and always had good succes, it only gets better year after year.

 

[weedhead24]

I put in a new big veggie garden this year. After I got it set up, we had some heavy rain, I had to lay plywood strips on the ground to walk between my rows to plant, it was so muddy. Im running raised bed rows, appx 24-30" wide and around 20" tall, the beds were fine, but the walking paths became heavily compacted. I've never had this issue before in my old garden. Should I loosen up the soil in the walking rows? Does it not matter?

hey buddy I think that you should wait next time .After the garden dries up it doesn't take long .You can walk in between, otherwise your going to get really muddy .I wish I could show you .as to doing the rows . You really need to ask a farmer to teach you how to make a bad ass row column . You use a hoe .See how the corn fields look ? You can walk in between the rows .But you don't have to . If you do it this way you just let the water hose run on the sides of your rows .On the part where would walk in between when you harvest .An the roots will find water .Water in between rows

 

[weedhead24]

I've seen people just stew it for a week in a wheelbarrow with chicken manure and some other organic ferts.
You wet it, stir it, and let the charcoal sit for about 3 days, when you stir it again it will break apart.
Now add your crap, wet it down again and let it stand for a week.

The charcoal in the ground will keep on collecting nutrients as long as it is in there, which is better than it just draining away in the rainy season. As you topdress the soil it will keep on loading the charcoal.

your onions got brown burnt tips from being in too much sun .If you soak your onion sprouts . They won't dry out super fast .If they get a bunch of shade .An will still grow awesome