Two gardening...need the dirt on composting & blight
by
Suze
+7
I gardened for years before moving to SW indiana, where the dirt is rock hard! I've amended it now for nearly 20 years with leaves, grass, cardboard, paper, added black dirt and straw. The soil...and I use the term loosely...eats it, never burps and STILL is rock hard!
The other thing is a fungus, I think, is killing my Hollyhocks. I've been spraying them every other week with a neem oil solution. Like the soil around here, it remains unphased. Help!
Suze if you've given this two decades of work it may be time to surrender the battle. I'm sure you've talked to professionals such as your local extension office? Perhaps it's best to container garden? I know its not everyone's favorite but may be your best alternative
How to remove fungus from plants?
Some of the ingredients may be irritating to your eyes, nose, or skin.
Apple cider vinegar. Dilute one tablespoon of vinegar in one gallon of water and use to treat fungal infection on any type of plant. ...
Baking soda. ...
Chive spray. ...
Garlic and corn spray. ...
Elder leaf spray. ...
Horseradish spray. ...
Milk spray. ...
Chamomile tea.
More items...
Treating Plant Diseases Naturally | Off The Grid News
www.offthegridnews.com/survival-gardening-2/treating-plant-diseases-naturally/
as for the soil, I'd probably rent a rototiller and incorporate shredded newspaper, compost, sand, or anything that is less dense than the soil.
Hope this helps you!
Did you add Composted manure,Gypsum and Pelletized lime.What you see on those leaves are insects not fungus. Spray them down with a horticultural oil
I agree, it may not be as desirable as gardening in the soil, but using varying sizes, colors, and shapes of pots can be very beautiful also and just put down mulch over the soil that is the old garden. You should be able to grow anything you would want that you had planted in your old garden and not worry about working the soil each spring to make it usable. You should be able to take up plants you have planted and pot them, but do not replant anything into pots that are ill in any way, start with a new plant to eliminate the problem and not spread it to other plants. Put the ill plants straight into the garbage or burn them. I went to plants in pots myself because I have very little sun in my yard and can move the pots to sunny spots so that I can have plants other than shade plants.
Container gardening is great! You can be so creative with pot selection and mix in garden art. A whole new challenge. I agree that 20 yrs is time to let the Indiana dirt win.
Neem oil is the same thing