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Can I use this dirt?
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Posted by janes_garden central NJ, 7 (My Page) on Wed, Sep 2, 09 at 15:57
| I have about two garbage cans (plastic) full of dirt that I dug up when I added a vegetable garden spring 2009. I poured boiling water over the dirt to hopefully kill any weeds and grass seeds that would definitely have sprouted. I know because last spring, after I rototilled the garden area (originally a lawn), within a couple of weeks, new grass and weeds were quickly growing back and thanks to lots of rain, that area was almost the same as the rest of the lawn. I then pulled up the grass and weeds, leaving the dirt underneath and the same thing happened, new grass and weeds. I then shoveled the dirt into the garbage cans, added the boiling water, then left the dirt and water overnight, poured off the water the next day. I now have about 200 iris rhizomes left to plant and would like to use this dirt, however, do I need to add any nutrients to the dirt before using it.
Thanks. Jane |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Can I use this dirt?
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| A couple of questions occur to me. What was planted in this dirt prior? Something that would have depleted it of nutrients? The only true way to know is to do a soil test. I would use the dirt, expecting to have new weeds germinate. The darn thing about some seeds is they have quite a long life and I don't know that boiling water would be able to kill all. I've forgotten how long soil is baked in an oven to sterilize??? I'm thinking 20 min.........google would tell me. I would also dig in bonemeal for future phosphorus needs of the rhizomes and a bulb fertilizer (lower in nitrogen) for more immediate use. Nice to get it down in the root zone. I do find that beardeds respond much better with regular fertilizing and this would give them the best of starts. You ambitious lady you. |
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