Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

So let me give you the rundown.

I live in the western Portland, OR suburbs. Near Hillsboro. Since I bought this house about two years ago, I finally have the space for a small (about 20 x 20) garden. I planted the garden for the first time last year. I could tell right a way that the soil was poor, so I wasn't really expecting great results. And I didn't get them either. Though some food from the garden did make it to our dinner plates.

So I'm here casting around for ideas. At this point I'll consider anything to increase yield. Among other things, I'm thinking of experimenting with the 3 sisters method and other high density methods. I never heard of the Mittleider Method before and am still researching it. Looks promising.

Of course, improving the soil is the first order of business. Right now I have the garden mulched over with leaves to keep the weeds under control. I'm planning to roto-till the leaves into the soil and incorporate manure as well (soil testing shows low nitrogen).

First question: After roto-tilling, does the soil have to rest before planting?

BTW: Last year's garden. I planted Bush beans, Sweet pea pods, two kinds of lettuce, carrots, radishes, four tomato plants, 5 squash, Corn.

Gordon & Group:

Soil almost everywhere is poor. Not to worry! You do NOT have to improve the soil. If you want to till leaves into it it will improve the soil tilth.

Manure is a great unknown. No one can tell you what nutrition it has in it. And no one can assure you that it does NOT have weed seeds, bugs, and/or disease in it. A post to the group within the last week lamented the introduction of a terrible weed into his garden (which he now cannot get out!) by the use of horse manure.

Even something as "harmless" as grass clippings can be a serious problem to your garden. Consider: Often people apply Weed & Feed to their lawns. This contains a broad-leaf herbicide, and may very well stop most of the plants in your garden from growing. Clippings also often contain grass seed, and sometimes include parts of perennial plants that will grow into new plants. Now you have lawn growing in your garden!

Don't do either of these things to your garden.

Simply do the following:
1) clear the soil of all weeds,
2) shape your level, raised, ridged Soil-Beds as instructed in the books and on the www.growfood.com website,
3) apply and mix into the soil the recommended amounts of Weekly Feed and Pre-Plant natural mineral fertilizers - which are complete and balanced nutrition for all your vegetable plants - and
4) plant your seeds or seedlings.

Follow the simple Mittleider Method recipe and you WILL have a GREAT garden in any soil, in virtually any climate, with NO soil amendments.

Jim Kennard

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