Care and feeding of raised bed after garlic harvest

otmg 7/3/2017, 11:51 am

Just harvested all the garlic from my 2 x 4, 12" H bed (garlic looks great, tho bulbs are not very big. They are hanging to cure). Anyway -- I would like to keep this bed uncultivated for the next 3 months or so until fall garlic planting and in the meantime enrich the soil with something. Would adding various kinds of compost, manure, etc be too early to do now? I would love to hear people's ideas. Thanks!

SwampTroll 7/3/2017, 8:18 pm

I can think of no reason why it would be too early to add compost or manure now. You'll probably have to cover it to keep weed seeds out, but other than that, I can think of no reason to not proceed with your plans.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/3/2017, 9:21 pm

Nope, all good to go! Mel said add a scoop of compost to each square after turning it to another crop, so I think that is where you are right now. Good compost, and let it repose!

Care and feeding of raised bed after garlic harvest 3170584802

Care and feeding of raised bed after garlic harvest 3170584802

**llama momma** 7/3/2017, 9:40 pm

Agree with SwampT - I would add compost and continue to water lightly. You want the soil web rich with microbes. Watering helps existing worms to move around easily in the area and compost will also feed them. Make them happy to stick around (just like worm tubes) and they'll multiply and enrich the soil with those magical-like castings for the next seedlings.

otmg 7/4/2017, 12:25 pm

Thanks for everybody's comments! I will keep those in mind.

**sanderson** 7/5/2017, 3:43 pm

Yep, add compost now and keep watering some. Keeps the bed "critters" healthy.

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Care and feeding of raised bed after garlic harvest

Care and feeding of raised bed after garlic harvest

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Re: Care and feeding of raised bed after garlic harvest

Re: Care and feeding of raised bed after garlic harvest

Re: Care and feeding of raised bed after garlic harvest

Re: Care and feeding of raised bed after garlic harvest

Re: Care and feeding of raised bed after garlic harvest


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