Reviving garden beds requires math and a mix of soil products

Q: In the backyard of our new house, there are a couple of beds covered with a thick layer of stones. We want to remove the stones and make flower and vegetable beds out of those spaces. We did start to remove one bed and found that once we get all the stones out it’ll be about three inches below grade, in other words, the stone layer is quite thick! The first bed we’re tackling is about 12x15 feet. Once we get all the stones out, how much soil, if that’s what we’ll need, to fill the bed and make it usable? — N.P., Albuquerque

A: You have quite a bit of heavy work in front of you, but having an end goal, good for you.

First, know that when you remove all the stones, I’m gonna bet that there will be a lot of accumulated blown-in sandy dirt. So you have a choice to make. Leave it or get it out. Know that there could very well be a lot of weed seed, weedy grass seed and all sorts of other seeds that are hiding in that soil, so you could be inviting a couple of growing seasons in front of you that will require plucking and keeping all that seed at bay as it sprouts.

You say the area of this bed, 12x15 feet, equals 180 square feet — give or take. From doing the math, I remember that it’ll take 15 cubic feet to cover 180 square feet of space at one inch thick. So in order to cover that 180 square feet of space with three inches of soil, you’ll need 45 cubic feet of product. That’s a lot of soil products.

You should do a bit of mix and match too. Don’t rely on just one product. Consider topsoil, garden soil, finely-milled compost and manure. The more you mix up the soil products, the healthier the bed will be in the long run. Remember that as you are emptying the bagged product into the new bed, you’ve got to mix it up really well. Stay a bit on the shy side when adding the manure. It could be too strong or “hot,” and burn the roots of anything you’d plant this coming spring. Like I said, it’ll be a lot of work to get this project completed, but I still believe it’ll warm your hearts for years to come.

Q: How soon can I start to repot my houseplants? — R.N., Albuquerque

A: I’m going to ask you to be patient and wait until late February at the earliest to begin this work. The daylight available until then won’t be sufficient to encourage your plants to start this coming season’s growth spurts. I’d really rather you wait until mid-March to begin repotting your houseplants. Allow them to continue resting before awakening them for this year.

Q: I was watching a PBS show on the “The Queen’s Garden” and since she forbade the use of “most all pesticides,” the ground keepers applied garlic powder through their hose end sprayers. The film showed dead and dying aphids. Does it really work and do you have a recipe? — M.C., Albuquerque

A: In my copy of “Handbook of Natural Insect & Disease Control” it does list garlic oil as a pesticide. The definition does say that it isn’t selective — meaning it could harm beneficial as well as “bad” pests. I do want to ask your patience with me while I do a bit more detective work to be far better informed, OK? I’ll keep you posted!

Meanwhile, Happy Diggin’ In and unless we do get some measurable precipitation soon, I’ll ask that you give everything a good drink as soon as the weather and temperatures moderate.

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.