Have you heard how other gardens nearby produced last year? The crops you report success with are cool weather crops (not sure about the dill) that would be expected to grow well in the cooler weather you mention. Your usuals love the warmth and may never have had optimal growing conditions last year. Even well fertilized soil would not help alot if the weather stayed cool.

I think the composted steer manure should help, but you will also need warmer temps to see the best growth for tomatoes, eggplants, corn, etc.

I'll leave the chicken manure question for others. I've not worked with that.

some years are good, some years are bad,
some years things do better, other years not.

Here on the east coast it was a very dry summer
my garden was terrible. but I did get a bumper crop of cucumbers and made pickles for the first time in 2 years.

Thanks folks.

Yes the year was at least fairly marginal for everyone. I heard a lot of complaining about the cool nights all around now that you mention it. So perhaps it wasn't me.

In regard to this chicken manure that is what I have used in the past for composting. Bagged, composted that is. Also this year I grew a buckwheat crop in the place I normally have pumpkins to try and replenish the nitrogen. So we shall see.

Thanks again.

Kate

Kate

Since chicken manure is so "hot" with nitrogen and can kill plants if not fully composted, if you already have it, why don't you mix it with some other compost away from your veggies and gradually add it later. You'll probably be okay if you've added composted steer manure to the beds recently.

It's true that some years just aren't very productive due to factors beyond our control. For instance, if you had periods of chilly weather after you planted corn, it's quite possible it just never thrived. Same is true for other plants.

As for your worries about soil nutrition and wondering if a failure to add compost for a couple of years had anything to do with your garden's poor performance, you'd probably really benefit from a soil test to see if it's low in needed nutrients. While composting certainly improves soil texture, it also provides "food" for the plants, so I'd start there.

Speaking of soil texture, do you have raised beds? If so, prior years' compost added to them gradually mixes with the soil beneath and enriches it nutritionally and texture-wise.

I understand your disappointment, but your soil might not be as undernourished as you may fear.

Anney:

Thanks for your post. I added the steer manure in October. There is a foot of snow sitting on the garden right now so I feel good that ground will be fine by spring.

I'll think about what you said on the soil test. Probably a good idea in general.

My bed is raised and I also left a layer of leaves on the ground after adding the manure and worked in some coffee grounds just on general principle. Last year was just such a drag that I want to know I have taken any/all appropriate steps to avoid it happening again.

Below are photos from my 2006 garden with the lower being 2007. You can see the difference.

Kate

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Disregard the date stamps on my old camera. Never worked correctly.

Kate

If the chicken poo is fresh you should wait at least a month before planting and after thoughally mixing the soil, but by all means you can add lots of organic matter safely.

I find that what is considered too much nitrogen in soil is rarely a problem, so I don't think you can over do it.

Patti
www.gardengirltv.com
www.farmersalmanac.com

Here is a link that might be useful: Urban Sustainable Living