Ideally you should have a soil test done or at the bare minimum a ph test. It might be too late to send samples off to CSU and get your results back in time but there are other soil testing services that might get you faster results.

Without knowing anything about your soil conditions the best amendment you can use would be compost.

You have already gotten some advice on the wisdom of a soil test, Alyssa.

Also, if you are a little patient, a gardener named Bonnie will be along. If I remember my Colorado geography correctly, she lives in your neck of the woods and should have some good advice of a very local nature.

It may help to know how large of a garden you are planning.

I buy Black Gold potting soil every year but in 2010, I got some "planting mix" from the same company, Sunshine brand. I was willing to try it because the plants had already been started and this new stuff was to be used for "potting up" to larger size containers. I ended up buying an expensive polymer additive to mix with it.

I've got 1 bag left and ran out of the polymer. It just occurred to me that this Sunshine Planting Mix would make a real good soil amendment. In fact, I'm planning on buying a bag of top soil to mix with it rather than more polymer. Maybe, I'm onto an idea for a less expensive potting soil formula because the planting mix is certainly cheaper than Black Gold.

Bagged, composted steer manure is a choice for a good amendment that has some quick benefit to your plants without waiting for 12 months for composting.

However, if your garden is more than just a few hundred square feet, you may not want these more expensive bagged products.

Seems to me that there's some livestock around Rifle. It is already to the growing season so you won't really have time to make your own compost. You may, however, be able to find it composted.

With some soils and some manures - there is some risk. Sometimes, salts are in manure at fairly high levels. Thorough composting, with some leaching, should lower those salt levels, I imagine.

Steve

LOL!!! Oh, I think Alyssa knows me already. I just saw her about an hour ago : ) Probably doesn't know me as Highalttransplant though, just Bonnie.

Alyssa, everything I know about gardening, I learned from the folks here, so any advice they give you is good.

Welcome to the RMG forum, Alyssa!!!

Yes I know Bonnie ;) Thanks for the advice everyone. Starting to spring sow a few seeds and crossing my fingers they sprout!