To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Melons
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 2004 21:54:38 -0500
Thanks for your comments about melon growing. I use garden beds, and I did
rotate them. However, I think I gardened too intensely, trying to get too
much out of each bed each year, without replacing enough nutrition. I
occassionally fertilized, added leaves and manure, and grew clover and other
legumes, but all much too sporadically. I used to test the soil, but all I
got from the state system was the usual big three or four minerals and pH,
and they were always fine. I got frustrated that I could never know what
the nitrogen status of the soil was; understand that it is difficult to test
for. I think that nitrogen is this sandy loam's most substantial weakness
for intensive gardening. The fruit trees do well though.