First, we don't have great dirt, so we've been trying to improve that. Now, I know that everyone's dirt is different, but for the sake of my wife's mental health, I'd love to hear what ya'll do to your gardens for good plants and yield. The secret can't be just adding fertilizer, or we'd have no problem.

So...what do you add to your dirt in prep for spring? Tell me what works for you.

If we ground up our oak tree leaves and add them to the dirt, is that a good idea or a bad one. We will add chicken droppings to the garden next week, and till it in.

I've added bank sand a few times over the years. I've added horse droppings and the shavings that were mucked out of the local horse barns. I've added topsoil. I've added nothing in the last few years except 13/13/13 and wood ash.

I would add the oak leaves as a mulch and till them in as they composted. Same with other mulches.

That chicken scat is going to be hot unless it has been aged. Post a pic of your garden.

As mentioned, I use mulch, then till it in. If I had access to chicken/cow manure, I'd use it in a heartbeat, but mind what Payne said, a little age will take the "edge" off, or add in the fall. I generally try to plant a fall overwinter crop, lately it has been just rye, but there are a few better things you can use depending on weather/time of year, I till that in in the spring as well.

The cost of a soil sample from A&M, can really help with planning.

I had a biology teacher tell me oak leaves make great amendments, called them natures way of oaks self fertilizing, I think moderation with any addition though is good until soil samples tell you which way your heading.

Only things I avoid really, are the same things my grandfather avoided when I was a kid, only place we used horse manure was around fruit trees and that was just maybe a layer 1-2" deep in a 6-7' circle, to many weed seeds can get through a hoss.

I seldom add wood ash from the fireplace, and my wife has the ability to generate a bunch since she likes a fire in the winter, just not, that ash can add high levels of salts and really change the PH to the point it can hurt many plants, but can benefit some, so research what you intend on growing and what, that can do. iirc when I was young, grandfather had us put fire place ash around the blueberries, but not sure.

Wood ash adds calcium.

A soil sample will definitely help you get started in right direction. Your County Extension Agent will have soil sample bags with instructions on how/what to do with it. I have chickens and alternate them from two spaces I have for gardens every six months. they keep the weeds out during the offseason and add a little fertilizer. I also have a compost bin and add compost prior to plowing. If you don't have access to any manure or compost, walmart usually sells cow and sheep manure and other soil amendments. They will have sales on it from time to time. The micro nutrients in the manure really seams to help gardens grow.

If you want to get a soil sample, you can send it as early as tomorrow using the links below, as long as your soil is dry. You will probably want this form SU17, full instructions on the bottom of page

http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/files/urbansoil.pdf

Here is the main page if you want/need to look at other info and submittal forms

Main page:
http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/

I really don't think soil samples are all that important on home gardens. They mostly tell you the ratio of the three numbers you need. We buy it already mixed and simply overdo it. It works for me.

A soil test from A&M is the best thing you can do to start/maintain a garden. Besides the big three it provides an analysis that will pay for itself. Stepping up from the basic test you'll get the micro results and recommendations that will save you time and money.

I agree soil test can be important. Mine told me that I had too much phosphorus and recommended that I only put nitrogen.

We sent a sample off last year to A&M. Honestly, they didn't help much.

We'll get the Chicken/turkey scat, which has been aged, this week.

Too much manure can cause too much phosphorus. The middle number is phosphourus. It's difficult to buy fertilizer with a low middle number. My feed store mostly sells 13-13-13.

If you have clay like I do get some gypsum. My neighbor has been using it for years and has a beautiful yard and garden

We've used a lot of gypsum over the years. Today we got the turkey poo.

I go to our dump and get a yard of "garden compost" for about $30. May want to check your closest waste facility and see if they provide.

Our soil up here is terrible.. not to mention all the building scraps and trash you find just a couple inches below the surface.

Bank sand is too often overlooked.

Middle number is phosphorus but in fertilizer it's the percent N-P205-K20 not N-P-K. So if you want precise you have to adjust.

The amount of concrete I find in my yard and flower beds is frustrating as hell. Freakin lazyasses just dump it in place and covered it up when they build these houses.

In most areas that have a decent feed store they will blend whatever you ask for, you may not have that luxury in your area. I use A&M each year to test my garden soil and wheat field soil. They also test my hay. The results I get from this are good, and in some places save me a considerable amount of money. The problem with using a "Blanket" fertilizer for a garden is the fact that the different plants like different nutrients. I go with my soil test sample and use 75% of the recommended application and then use liquid thru my drip system to custom tailor each plant species fertilizer. Fish heads are also another great fertilizer. If I have them, I will bury fish heads next to my tomato's and peppers and it provides a good natural fertilizer that you can tell is working. I also use composted hay and cow manure I get from around my round bale rings and it adds a great texture to the soil. One thing I notice, is when I moved my garden to virgin ground that my granddad said that he last farmed in the 1930's, was that after 5-6 years adding the hay, manure, sand from another field, and mulch when I have it, is that it requires less and less synthetic supplements. It also helps texture and helps prevent crusting.

Add 2 or 3 inches of leaves and turn under to about 8 inches,this will give you good organic matter and will naturally compost.
I have a composter that makes very rich dirt, took a while to figure it out but now when I open in to turn it over or add to it the smell is like freshly turned soil. Nothing but leaves, grass, produce scraps from the kitchen, some old hay I get from a feed store(free of charge) and a couple gallons of rain water every couple weeks.
I have not thought about bank sand, I believe a trip to the river is in my near future...

Walmart has a 40 lb. bag of compost and cow manure mix for $1.53 per bag. What say you gardeners about this product?

I use this every year on my garden and it produces great, especially on my cucumbers.

PH of your soil is what you need to know, different plants like different ph range. Plants can't take up nutrients properly if ph is too far off.

In my raised beds I just add bagged compost, some of my compost and whatever bags of potting soil/garden soil I get from work. My company started a compost pile last year from left over sod and odds and ends. About a third of an acre and ten feet tall. Should be ready this year. Yeah we go through a lot of sod.