Spring 2014 soil prep

In spring of 2014, I had all of the shrubs in the side beds removed. The rear bed at the south end had already been cleared the season before. I pulled a lot of weeds, and movedĀ some stray flower bulbs into a couple of spots I reserved for perennial flowers to call their own.

Moving some overgrown bulbs to another spot
Moving some overgrown bulbs to another spot

I pulled out a few odds and ends as well. I’ve found plastic bags, matchbox cars, broken glass, tin cans, rusting garden tools, balloons, and much more in this city soil. My place was built a generation after the Civil War… I believe that most buildings in Brooklyn had outhouses back then, not indoor plumbing.

Old garden tool found buried in the soil
Old garden tool found buried in the soil

Finally, I put in a truckload or two of (literally) of mixed soil and amendments. Spent a few hours dumping it all in and mixing it all up. Some Pro Mix, some Bumper Crop, some compost, some organic fertilizer, some micronutrients, some lime, some peat. Somethin’ for everybody.

I’ll say again, I wish I’d been able to find a light mix with something other than perlite for aeration. The garden store recommended Pro Mix, but I’ll look for something else next time. Vermiculite is nicer stuff, is brown so it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb and make the soil look like popcorny office plant soil, and vermiculite both holds water well and provides aerationĀ and drainage. The little white pellets you see in many photos of soil–that’s perlite. Thankfully it’s only in the side beds. In the larger rear bed, I didn’t use it. Pro Mix might be better for landscaping, not vegetable gardening. But it’s very light, so it might work on a rooftop. Each year, I’ll be mixing in more compost and organic matter.

Laying down new soil in the west bed
Laying down new soil in the west bed