Hi there, all you Hoop House freaks! I’m so excited to be able to share this series of 12 blogs with you, on setting up your greenhouse and having a successful harvest. The first one is called “Dirt on Dirt” and it’s all about the soil – the lifeblood of your greenhouse.
When it comes to raised garden beds, you want to make sure to fill them with the best soil possible – a mixture of quick draining, weed-free compost, top soil, peat, manure, sand and moisture retaining materials. This will make your soil fertile, light and airy. If your garden boxes are more than 12 inches deep, you can fill the bottom portion with branches, leaves, lawn trimmings, pine cones or straw – my personal favorite! These fillers will eventually break down and add valuable nutrients to your soil.
Once you’ve filled your beds, give them a good watering and let them settle for at least a week before planting. After each growing season, you’ll need to amend your soil with nutrients, to make sure your harvests are the best they can be.
I’m so excited to be able to share this knowledge with you, and I can’t wait to see what you can do with it! Next week’s blog is going to be all about watering and irrigation and it’s called “Give Me a Drink”.