Coming at this late... I've been assured compost is pH neutral. If completely composted. So I don't understand about compost. Also, "soil conditioner" here at the landscapers and nurseries is just a term used for partly broken down mulch. Hopefully forest/hardwoods. But it's not all broken down to compost so it will be eating nitrogen. I see Happy Frog has a bit of other stuff in it, but is it broken down to hummus? or still partly mulch?
Another way to fix that although not a quick fix is to allow the bed to compost a few months before planting. Putting a nitrogen fixer like clover in as a cover crop would help. Adding worms and innoculants too. It's a new bed. A few tweeks here and there and those beds will produce for years and years. Nothing like a old aged raised garden bed. Good work brother. Living Soil, Living Soul
Your cover crops will also make the bound up nutrients become available when tilled in. So will "weeds" like lambs quarter and dandelion leaves. I fertilize and dig in gypsum in the fall when I get the garden ready for winter. It has all winter to get the fertilizer to get the soil ready for spring and release the minerals and such.
@@SnakeJones09 It's how I do mine. Took me several years to figure this one out. But it's like the microbes and worms need time to work on the stuff for at least 2-3 months to release all that soil goodness that feeds the plant. I even dig thistle into the beds, leaves not roots.
Firstly, I thought tomatoes preferred acidic soil Secondly, I went and got a double big load of mushroom compost….. I thought that was just about all I needed, except mixing in peat moss , vermiculite, perlite. I mean seriously… how could compost lock up the nutrients or good stuff? I thought it released it.
