QUESTION:

I live in Atlanta, GA area. Not sure what the zone is. My question is how I make loamy soil? What is the right mix of peat moss, cow manure, soil conditioner for clay soil, Epsom Salts, sand, 10/10/10? I am trying to plant blueberries this fall and a little garden for veggies (beets, greens, lettuce).

ANSWER: Building good garden soil can take a few years. Add amendments every spring and fall. Also, don't plant the same crops in the same rows yearly. Move them around. Rotating them will keep your soil healthier.

For your vegetable patch, start with 3-4 inches of either or both very well rotted cow manure and mushroom compost and a thick layer of soil conditioner. Georgia soil is probably on the acid side of pH, so also work in a goodly amount of lime. Use pelleted lime and scatter it over the surface of your other amendments. Dig all of this in with a rotary tiller or shovel.

Don't use sand on clay soil. You can end up with cement. Either add a handful of Epsom Salts around your vegetable plants or mix it into the soil as you dig the hole. The same with the 10-10-10 fertilizer. Add it as a side dressing after you plant. I'm afraid I don't measure, just lay a line of it next to the row; work it into the soil beside the plants; and water it in. Don't let it touch the leaves or roots. It will burn them.

You can learn the exact measurements by taking a soil sample to your local Extension Service office. They will come back with specific amounts your soil needs.

Blueberries need a different soil pH. They are at their best when the pH is at 5.0, which is very acid. Don't plant them where you will be using mushroom compost or lime. Both will raise the pH. Just add soil conditioner to work up the clay so it will drain freely and plant the blueberries. Make sure you choose varieties suited to the heat of the south like Vaccinium 'Sunshine Blue' available at Wayside Gardens.

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Coach Anne