Hello from Connecticut

[dogchickmama]

Hi All,
My name is Diana and I live in Northeast Connecticut with my hubby. We have 2 boys...ahem, maybe I should say sons because they are 21 and 19. We have 1 adorable chocolate lab/Catahoula mix who is 4yrs. old and she has burrowed herself into all of our hearts. We also have 1 female tabby cat who is 13 years. old. We got her when she was 6weeks old. We are hoping to get some chicks in the spring.

I love to garden, but I'm not very good at it. I struggle to get things to grow in this sandy rocky soil, so I'm hoping to learn a lot here. Funny thing is that before we moved to this house I didn't have any problems growing a veggie garden. Something about the soil at this house I think. I have decided to try my hand at making a compost pile, maybe that will help. Anyway, glad to be here and hope to learn a lot!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum, glad you joined.

There are a few people on here trying to grow in sand, @baymule for example. Adding organic matter is the way to go. Lots of organic matter. And mulch heavily with organic mater. That mulch will compost in place and improve the soil after you've finished growing for the season. If you have trees, cover the garden with dried leaves this fall so they can rot in place. It may take a while to change your soil but you can improve it a lot. Sand is tough since it drains so well, that water passing through leaches out the nutrients.

Chicken manure is a great addition to your compost too. The nitrogen in it helps break down the other stuff plus a lot of the calcium the chickens eat is not absorbed by their bodies but goes right on through and out the rear end. Calcium is an important nutrient to prevent blossom end rot. Clay normally has a lot of calcium but sand usually doesn't have much.

 

[seedcorn]

Welcome. While it would be nice to have 6' of black top soil like parts of Illinois and Iowa, it is rewarding to take a piece of dirt that couldn't grow weeds and make it productive. Join in and share joys and frustrations of gardening. You will find we are a fairly tight group. Beware of the southerners as they are always poking at some of us for no reason at all. They are just that way....

 

[Nyboy]

Welcome from NY I have rocky heavy clay soil

 

[thistlebloom]

Welcome from north Idaho Dogchickmama !

 

[baymule]

Hi and welcome to the forum! I know what you mean on the sandy soil. We are on what is known locally as sugar sand. Fine, white sand, think beach without the ocean.

 

[baymule]

Here is my garden journey, we moved here 3 years ago. Maybe something I've done will help you with your sandy soil.

https://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/baymules-2015-garden-from-raw-land.16897/

https://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/baymules-2016-garden.18914/

https://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/baymules-2017-garden-thread.20303/

 

[ninnymary]

Welcome Dogchickmama! I have good soil and good weather for year round gardening. Unfortunately I have rats. We all have something that prevents us from perfect gardening.

Mary

 

[ducks4you]

from Central Illinois where the soil isn't QUITE as good as advertised earlier on your thread. You came to the right place, all really friendly forum dwellers and, if we don't have your answer, we DO have opinions!! Btw, even some Master Gardeners I have met or listened to get stuck with some problems, so you are NOT alone.

 

[Carol Dee]

@dogchickmama From Eastern Iowa where gardening is good! Unless you buy a lot on a clay capped ex-landfill! LOL We have been adding compost, dirt, raised beds, etc... so it is getting better all the time. Come learn along with us. Glad you are here.