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  • growth inhibitor?

    From T@21:1/5 to All on Fri Aug 1 04:36:19 2025
    Hi All,

    I have given up on trying to grow garlic. I keep getting
    perfectly formed plants in miniature.

    So this year I planted a pepper plant (from the nursery)
    in my garlic bed. It is perfectly healthy. But it
    has only grown three inches in two months.
    No flowers and no peppers either. It should
    be two or more feet tall by now. Exactly thing that
    happened to my garlic.

    Peppers grow fine elsewhere in my garden.

    Is it possible that the soil in my garlic bed, which
    feels great to the touch, has some kind of growth
    inhibitor in it?

    It has had lots of chicken poo, bone meal, worm
    casings, water, etc. This soil got really
    pampered trying to get my garlic to grow. Nothing
    worked. Now the same thing on my pepper plant!

    Purselane loves my garlic path though.

    Is so should I dig out all the soil and replace it?

    Yours in confusion,
    -T

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  • From songbird@21:1/5 to All on Sat Aug 2 08:05:10 2025
    T wrote:

    ...
    Is it possible that the soil in my garlic bed, which
    feels great to the touch, has some kind of growth
    inhibitor in it?

    sure, but it may also just be too much organic material
    and not enough mineral as things like clay can help hold
    water and nutrients.


    It has had lots of chicken poo, bone meal, worm
    casings, water, etc. This soil got really
    pampered trying to get my garlic to grow. Nothing
    worked. Now the same thing on my pepper plant!

    Purselane loves my garlic path though.

    if you want it around it's great, if you don't it is
    very hard to remove completely. the seeds can persist
    for 40+ years...


    Is so should I dig out all the soil and replace it?

    in the past you've talked of pots and holes where you
    were planting. are these those?

    pretty much mixing and spreading out concentrations of
    materials can help if there are local issues (like if you
    have spots that collect and hold water when certain kinds
    of plants don't do well with that).

    the more general problem is that when you bring in any
    outside amendments or materials you may not be getting
    what you expect and yes sometimes such things can be
    contaminated and cause problems. years ago there was an
    item in the news about compost that had herbicides in it
    which took some time to resolve.


    songbird

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  • From T@21:1/5 to songbird on Sun Aug 3 03:03:54 2025
    On 8/2/25 5:05 AM, songbird wrote:
    T wrote:

    ...
    Is it possible that the soil in my garlic bed, which
    feels great to the touch, has some kind of growth
    inhibitor in it?

    sure, but it may also just be too much organic material
    and not enough mineral as things like clay can help hold
    water and nutrients.


    It has had lots of chicken poo, bone meal, worm
    casings, water, etc. This soil got really
    pampered trying to get my garlic to grow. Nothing
    worked. Now the same thing on my pepper plant!

    Purselane loves my garlic path though.

    if you want it around it's great, if you don't it is
    very hard to remove completely. the seeds can persist
    for 40+ years...


    Is so should I dig out all the soil and replace it?

    in the past you've talked of pots and holes where you
    were planting. are these those?

    pretty much mixing and spreading out concentrations of
    materials can help if there are local issues (like if you
    have spots that collect and hold water when certain kinds
    of plants don't do well with that).

    the more general problem is that when you bring in any
    outside amendments or materials you may not be getting
    what you expect and yes sometimes such things can be
    contaminated and cause problems. years ago there was an
    item in the news about compost that had herbicides in it
    which took some time to resolve.


    songbird


    It is a ground trough. Basically it is a six foot long by
    1-1/2 foot wide by 1-1/2 foot deep trough carved out of the
    hard pack lake bed sediment (I had to use an axe to cut
    it out.)

    It is filled with half peat moss and some left over
    silt powder, plus chicken poop, worm casing, dug
    under weeds, leaves and purselane, etc..

    I am thinking of digging it up and replacing it with
    something. What would you suggest?

    -T

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  • From T@21:1/5 to Bob F on Sun Aug 3 03:05:05 2025
    On 8/2/25 8:20 AM, Bob F wrote:
    Could do a soil test. my local "conservation district" offers 5 free
    soil tests per family per "lifetime", then charges, IIRC $25 for
    additional test

    Our extension service does not do such things. Can you
    recommend a paid service?

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  • From T@21:1/5 to songbird on Sun Aug 3 03:07:53 2025
    On 8/2/25 5:05 AM, songbird wrote:
    Purselane loves my garlic path though.
    if you want it around it's great, if you don't it is
    very hard to remove completely. the seeds can persist
    for 40+ years...

    It is easy to pull out and I occasionally dig it under
    to amend my sold. And the better of the branches,
    I will occasionally eat.

    I have found it great as a companion plant to protect
    soil evaporation

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  • From songbird@21:1/5 to All on Sun Aug 3 08:40:37 2025
    T wrote:
    On 8/2/25 5:05 AM, songbird wrote:
    Purselane loves my garlic path though.
    if you want it around it's great, if you don't it is
    very hard to remove completely. the seeds can persist
    for 40+ years...

    It is easy to pull out and I occasionally dig it under
    to amend my sold. And the better of the branches,
    I will occasionally eat.

    it's not easy to pull out here in most gardens as we
    have enough clay to make it rather hard. when i walk
    on most of my gardens there's no imprint of my shoes
    as i walk. only a few areas have better soil because
    it's been brought in or amended enough to improve it
    over the years but that is only a small area (and most
    of it is also outside the fenced gardens hahaha...).


    I have found it great as a companion plant to protect
    soil evaporation

    yes, it will provide some shade and cover but i don't
    want it all over the place and that is what it does here
    if given a chance.

    i am glad it is edible in parts as long as you're not
    worried about too many oxylates. unfortunately Mom won't
    eat it and i'm not in the mood that often to eat it either
    but i will if i ever have to. :)


    songbird

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  • From songbird@21:1/5 to All on Sun Aug 3 08:36:59 2025
    T wrote:
    ...
    It is filled with half peat moss and some left over
    silt powder, plus chicken poop, worm casing, dug
    under weeds, leaves and purselane, etc..

    I am thinking of digging it up and replacing it with
    something. What would you suggest?

    i'd leave it where it is and add a few bags of topsoil
    to it. peat moss is ok as a partial amendment but 1/2 is
    too much. with the type of subsoil and conditions you
    have there i don't think it will hurt anything to leave
    it alone, plus some things may grow well in there.

    good luck.

    gotta get outside while i can and hopefully finish up
    the garden i'm weeding - going to get hot later.


    songbird

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