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Franklinton ,La.

I need advice on the quickest way to increase soil organic matter in my melon patch before next season. My organic matter levels were really low according to Western Labs analysis(1.95).All other nutrient levels were right on target.I want to continue to improve with melon weights. Thanks to all for your help and seed requests responses in the 2018 season. Bigg Dogg

9/27/2018 5:09:37 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

Well composted horse manure.
Shredded maple leaves.
Mushroom compost.
What I’m adding this year.

Just my 2 cents.

9/28/2018 7:58:38 PM

Princeton Kentucky

Daryl, 8 years ago I stopped by our local AG office where I take my soil samples to and asked them what row crop produces the best and longest retention based organic material lift behind in the fields....SOY BEANS they said. The stalk on soy beans stay in the soil longer than other crops. So the 1st harvest season I took out across the fields next to my with my lawn tractor and rear leaf drum picker upper and hauled several hundred lbs of soy bean debris and piled it up. Then I ran all of it through my 3" wood chipper and then ran it all through again & spread it on the patches and had that tilled under (would have been better to compost it a year or two) but that's what I did. The 1st year it took a lot of nitrogen added to my soil because the soy bean matter robbed me blind of nitrogen (keep that in mind on any dumping of large amount of organic matter). This is just what I did and still do. You may ask this same question down around you somewhere sir! Leaves are good too.

9/29/2018 5:54:47 PM

Princeton Kentucky

Meant to add that this technique with the bean stubble makes my soil fluffy & light..easy on the roots and drains well but still breaks down well especially chopping it up. Adding a butt load of packing peanuts to the soil while tilling didn't hurt either, just don't do that on a windy day,lol...we were picking those darn things up for the next 2 years!!

9/29/2018 5:58:57 PM

formerly RGG

Mushroom compost is excellent for raising organic matter. And it is generally weed seed free as it is heated to destroy all the seeds in the manure it contains. It is sold by the truckload and is very cheap if you can find a local source.

9/30/2018 4:38:27 AM

Eastern Shore of VA

We just got one here Dennis.
I’ve been taking advantage !
50 bucks for 2 cubic yards.

9/30/2018 11:04:19 AM

Franklinton ,La.

Thanks for the information everyone!

10/1/2018 10:22:18 PM