From the composted studios of Lehigh Valley Public Media in Bethlehem, PA, it is time for another uplifting episode of chemical free horticultural hijinks.

You Bet Your Garden.

Millions of first timers are turning to gardening to escape isolation and have a reason to put on real pants again.

I'm your host, Mike McGrath.

And on today's show, we'll help you successfully grow some of your own food with a treatise on the correct types of, quote, soil with which to fill your raised beds.

Otherwise, it's a fabulous phone calls show cats and kittens.

That's right.

Potential guests are busy testing their topsoil.

So we will take that heaping helping of your telecommunicated questions, comments, tips, tricks, suggestions and bodaciously beleaguered bon-vivants.

So keep your eyes and/or ears right here, true believers, because it's all coming up faster than you corralling your compost.

Right after this.

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Lehigh Valley Health Network, your health deserves a partner.

Support for You Bet Your Garden is provided by the Espoma company, offering a complete selection of natural organic plant foods and potting soils.

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Welcome back to another thrilling episode of You Bet Your Garden from the studios of Lehigh Valley Public Media in Bethlehem, PA.

I am your host, Mike McGrath, and I am thrilled to tell you that we have finally fixed our phone lines.

I think maybe we paid a bill, something like that.

But we do have a brand new number for you to call.

It is eight eight eight.

The number 4, the letters Y B Y, G, and then two fours after that.

And because nobody is going to remember that, it's: Tina, welcome to You Bet Your Garden.

- Thank you, Mike.

- Well thank you, Tina.

How you doing?

- I'm doing good, a little chilly, but I don't think it's as bad here as it is there.

- Oh, OK.

It has been brutal here in Pennsylvania this winter, actually, this February.

Where is Tina chilly?

- I am in Woodburn, Kentucky.

I'm about 20 minutes south of Bowling Green, Kentucky, and about an hour north of Nashville.

Great.

Well, what can we do you for?

- Last year we had an arborist come and do some tree trimming and I had a volunteer maple tree in one of my flower beds that I was kind of thinking I would transplant at one point and it had gotten too tall for me to think about doing it.

While he was here, I asked him about it.

He said, oh, yeah, we can do that.

So it was in April and he did the transplant and used moisture gathering pellets when he planted, and said, you know, you're not going to have to worry about watering that tree unless it doesn't rain for three weeks.

And I thought, wow, because I had used those sort of moisture pellets in some container gardens that I've done, some flowers, mostly because it does tend to get...

I live in the middle of the field.

We have a lot of sun and it gets really hot and humid.

So it worked well, seemed to work well for that tree.

And we're getting ready to do some more updating our landscaping and wondering kind of what your thoughts were on using those.

- Is it difficult for you to get water to new plants?

- Some of them maybe where we are going to plant, but my one of the things that I loved about it was the fact that in the past, I've always had a hard time judging - when they needed water.

- Mm hmm.

- So this seemed to take some of that element out of it, the questionable part of it.

- Now, he put these things in the planting hole.

Did they look like the slimy little gummi bear things that are in some potting soils?

- Well, I actually had a conversation with him the other night because I had sent you the email and I didn't know that I was going to hear from you or not.

So I asked him about the product that he was using.

- Right.

- He shared it with me.

SoilMoist, said it's sodium polyacrylamide.

- OK, so that's a plastic.

- How he described it is that you would dig your hole, fill it about probably two thirds, you know, put your root ball or whatever in and then you feel it about two thirds with your dirt.

And when you're about five to six inches below the ground level, you know, the top, you would just sprinkle these in there, kind of like putting...

He described it as put salt on egg and bacon, you know, you know, when you're salting that in the morning and then you finish covering it up, you keep it away from the root ball.

It was out in the soil that's around the plant or shrub or whatever it is.

- But then for this to work, you really have to saturate that soil right away.

- Correct.

Yeah.

And we did that with the tree, we left a hose just gently running on it for probably 18 hours or so.

- Excellent.

Excellent.

And you just answered your own question.

Any time you go a week without rain, typically the best way to water trees and shrubs is just what you say, just let a hose drip at their base, you know, for 12 to 24 hours.

That really saturates everything.

You're also, you know, you're kind of describing that you get really bone dry at the height of the summer.

If that's the case and rain has really been scarce, you could do that even twice a week.

Now, I'm actually surprised to hear your story.

I believe you.

You've never lied to me before.

When these water holding crystals were tested in university studies as components of potting mixes, they didn't do anything.

They didn't increase the time between waterings.

But, you know, trees are another matter.

Obviously, they've got their... ..they've got their roots in the ground.

And once trees get established, I don't know that I've ever watered a tree, to be honest, during drought times.

You know, if you plant it correctly and like he said correctly, absolutely you want to refill the hole with the soil you remove.

That's perfect advice.

Now, these water holding crystals, because they are a plastic, I personally would not use them because they're not organic, but they're also not killing anything in the environment, you're not spraying the good bugs or anything like that.

And it doesn't sound like they're doing any harm.

And you believe in them.

Belief is essential in gardening.

And I'm not going to suggest, you know, you'd start doing scientific studies, you know, plant one tree with them, one tree without them.

But the most important takeaway here is if you want to keep using those crystals, that's up to you, but the most important thing is when you plant a new tree to fill the hole up with the same soil you removed and to water the heck out of it over those first couple of weeks while it gets established.

That's the best advice.

But I'm very interested in hearing your story.

And I imagine we'll hear from other gardeners soon about this.

- Well, he says that he has been using them for around 20 years.

- Mm hmm.

- And I mean, he has all the certifications.

You know, he's got a couple of degrees and studied and I can't tell you all of them, but, you know, I just had never heard of that.

And he said he can plant pretty much all summer long, which here, you know, we get pretty hot.

We're not Arizona hot.

- Right.

- But definitely we get pretty hot.

- Yeah, that's generally bad advice.

You know, when you are establishing expensive new trees and shrubs, you don't want to plant them in the summertime because of the difficulty in keeping them watered.

And most new trees and shrubs that die prematurely die from lack of watering and inattention.

So this is very interesting.

And you say he's a certified arborist.

So, you know, when it comes down to stuff like this, because the material is not my style, so to speak, but it doesn't seem dangerous at all, keep doing what you're doing.

As long as it's working out, you know, you go for it.

- Good.

OK. - All right, Tina, thank you so much.

All right, you take care.

- Bye bye.

- Bye bye.

Scott, welcome to You Bet Your Garden.

- Well, thanks for taking my call.

- Well, thank you for making it.

Scott, how you doing?

- Unbelievable.

How about you?

- I am just Ducky, thanks for asking.

Where is Scott unbelievable?

- Ottumwa, Lake Michigan.

- All right.

What can we do for, Scott?

- Well, we're going to till up about 10,000 square feet this year, we live on several acres and we want to grow some additional crops in addition to the raised beds that we already have.

And the only area that we have available is somewhat near our pond.

We have a three acre pond private and never used any chemicals in it.

And I was wondering if pond water is OK to use on vegetables.

- It is not only OK to use on vegetables, it is the preference of many people.

Water that contains fish and aquatic plants is felt to convey lots of micronutrients to plants.

JI Rodale, the founder of organic gardening and the Rodale Press empire and in whose name the Rodale Institute was founded many years ago, he used to prefer not only the water but to compost the plants that grow on the margins.

He felt that anything that was growing in or around water and the water itself was kind of superpowered.

So that's an easy one.

Now, have you...?

This seems like an enormous undertaking.

You say you're going to till up 10,000 square feet?

- Yes, we have a tractor and a trailer, and we're going to start as soon as the ground thaws, we're going to start tilling it probably once a week and then add some compost.

And then I think we're going to plant toward the end of May, we're going to do corn and root vegetables.

- OK, now, have you ever worked with tilled soil before as opposed to gardening in raised beds?

- No, we haven't.

This will be a new project for us.

- Be aware that tilling releases a lot of soil nutrients and you really have to wait until the soil is bone dry or you'll also ruin the soil structure.

But the real problem is weeds, as you've probably heard these horrifying statistics, you know, there's, like, 18 million weed seeds in every square foot of soil and everything like that.

And when you till what happens is you dig up the seed and you expose it to sunlight, which is the trigger for germination.

And then what do you do?

You smooth out that soil so nicely, you might even water it, maybe even feed it.

And you're shocked, shocked to discover these weeds, this sea of weeds.

But you should be proud.

That's probably the best planting you're ever going to do.

- So what do you recommend?

Right now, it's just prairie grass.

- Right.

And that drops a lot of seed, man.

Well, you have a couple of options, and I also want to mention quite seriously that extensive plowing is what caused the Dust Bowl in the 30s, because it just ruined the soil structure.

A friend of mine tried to create a small scale garlic farm, but he was frustrated by weeds.

So he just kept tilling it over and over again.

And he didn't tell me until he had tilled this patch like half a dozen times.

And I told him there's no nutrients left in that soil.

You've sent it all into the atmosphere.

And, you know, he either didn't believe me or didn't have any option.

And he got the tiniest garlic bulbs so I have ever seen.

So I would recommend, boy, sweet corn I think almost could outcompete the prairie grass.

What I would suggest instead of tilling is to mow that sucker to the ground, and I mean, you know, I want to see dirt blowing out the back of the mower.

- Right, with a brush hog or something.

- Right, and rake it all up or burn it on the spot to get rid of the seeds, you know, get a flame weeder, you can have some manly fun out there.

But corn grows best, kind of weirdly, in compact soil.

You get the soil too nice and loose and it tends to fall over.

So I think that's what I would do for the corn and there's a lot less work there.

And again, you're not going to double down on your weed problems and you're not going to lose the nutrients.

The nutrient you'll lose the most of is nitrogen and that's what corn wants.

A matter of fact, that's why you even see, you know, chemical farms practicing what's called no till.

And if you look at some websites of extension services and maybe the Rodale Institute, because I know they've done extensive studies of no till farming, and they can really walk you through the paces of no till farming for corn, because that's the new way of doing it.

And it's much better for the environment and the atmosphere.

For the root crops... - All right.

What about...?

OK. - You know, if you don't feel a need to get started right away, consider tilling up the soil, because you're right, root crops need that underground space.

So you get carrots making dirty pictures out of themselves.

But I would do small areas at a time, workable areas.

After you're done tilling it, level it out, level it out, like with a level like you're a carpenter, and then saturate it with water and cover that area with clear plastic that is either one or two mils thick.

I'm hoping that you'll get enough sunshine over the summer and then what happens is you've created what's called the stale seedbed.

You've actually destroyed the seeds that were brought to the surface.

And if you do that, if you make one stale seedbed after the other, you should have good success.

But once again, going back to your actual question, I love the pond water.

- OK, terrific.

Well, thanks so much.

I really enjoy your show.

- Well, thank you, sir.

Good luck to you.

All right.

It is time for the Question of the Week, which we're calling a dirty little secret of raised bed success.

Bernadette in Allentown writes: Well, the first thing I want to say is that you should always take the long view here.

Depending on your age and God's good wishes, these beds could be producing - or not - for decades to come.

So assume the amortization aspect and presume that what you start with will be with you for a decade or two.

And remember, filling a bed is easy.

Emptying it and starting over is not.

The second thing, number two, that I want to say is that there really isn't anything called, quote, organic soil, but bagged potting soils, compost and the like that carry the OMRI seal of approval, that's OMRI for the Organic Materials Research Institute, have been tested and are approved for use on organic farms and gardens.

Now, you mentioned the Rodale Institute, a fine nonprofit facility in Kutztown.

That's just a half hour or so from Allentown, especially if you take I-78 instead of slowpoke Route 222.

Anyway, I spoke with Rick Carr, farm director and compost production specialist for the institute, and he explained that they will have organic compost for sale this season.

Hey, come on, if you hear the name Rodale, you can be pretty sure it's going to be organic, right?

They offer bulk compost at $35 per cubic yard.

You must bring your own method of transport, say, a pickup truck or a trailer, but they will happily load it for you.

Math time!

A cubic yard of compost equals 27 cubic feet, a raised bed that's four by eight by one foot high would require 32 cubic feet of material.

But I never recommend compost alone when filling a bed for the first time.

It can just get too heavy, especially in wet climes.

For me, the perfect raised bed filler is around 50% compost, 50% high quality screened topsoil and a generous amount of perlite, a mined volcanic glass that aids drainage and retains water, which is quite a trick.

No garden soil, unless you are certain that it contains no lead.

Lead problems are extremely common in urban areas in anywhere near older homes, and working in lead contaminated soil can be extremely dangerous to the worker/gardener.

But if a lead test clears your soil and your... it as a base to take up some room in the bottom of each bed, but do not mix it in, and two inches on the bottom would be the maximum you can use.

Then mix your other ingredients well, preferably in a wheelbarrow, and pour them on top of that wretched garden soil.

And since only half of the mix is compost, two cubic yards would seem sufficient to supply the compost component of your four new raised beds.

That's 70 bucks plus gas money.

Come on.

And for those who operate on a smaller scale, the Rodale Institute also sells bags of compost, each about a five gallon bucket's worth, for five bucks, and they supply the non plastic bags.

Very cool.

Before you buy topsoil in bulk, though, go to the facility and get a bucket full to test.

Same with compost not from the Rodale Institute.

Place some of the soil in a regular old plant pot, place some more into another plant pot, leave the first pot unplanted but water it frequently.

Sow some fresh seeds in the other one.

Pea or bean seeds are best as they are extremely vulnerable to herbicide poisoning, which is what we're testing for here.

Cover it with some more soil and also water frequently.

Try and do this inside, if at all possible, to keep the seeds warm so they germinate quickly.

If the empty pot stays empty, you're good to go.

If the empty pot sprouts plants, take a pass because the material is full of weed seeds.

If your test crop comes up looking nice and green and happy and healthy, go for it.

But if they emerge all withered and nasty looking, take a pass because there's herbicides in there.

You should perform this simple test on every load of bulk material you're thinking about purchasing.

Do not wait until it gets dropped off at your house.

In addition, give every batch the duck test.

Does it smell like good rich soil?

Does it feel like good rich soil and does it look like good rich soil?

If it smells like a duck, looks like a duck and feels like a duck, it's just ducky!

There are numerous facilities all over the country that sell bulk compost, bulk topsoil and mixes of each.

Some may even be able to supply you with the equivalent of a soil test for their bulk compost.

So always ask for the paper.

But no matter what, take home a sample of any bulk material for testing before you buy.

Well, that sure was some interesting information about filling your beds with the best now, wasn't it?

Luckily for yous, the Question of the Week appears in print at the Gardens Alive website.

To read it over at your "leesure" or your "lesure", just click the link for the Question of the Week at our website, which is still and will forever be: Gardens Alive supports the You Bet Your Garden Question on the week, and you will always find the latest Question of the Week at the Gardens Alive website.

You Bet Your Garden is a half hour public television show, an hour long public radio show and podcast, all produced and delivered to you weekly by Lehigh Valley Public Media in Bethlehem, PA. Our radio show is distributed by PRX, the Public Radio Exchange.

You Bet Your Garden was created by Mike McGrath.

Mike McGrath was created when he found an old cane in a Norwegian cave, tapped it on the ground and was astonished to find that his hair had grown back and he now had a nifty new hammer.

Well, yikes, my producer is threatening to short sheet my beds if I don't get out of this studio.

We must be out of time.

But you can still contact us any time at our brand new phone number, which actually works, cats and kittens.

How about that?

It is eight eight eight, the number four, YBYG, 44.

In human terms, that's: Or send us your email, your tired, your poor, your wretched refuse teeming towards our garden shore: Please include your location.

You'll find all of this contact information, including our brand new and shiny phone number at our website... ..where you'll also find the answers to all your garden questions, audio of this show, video of this show, audio and video of previous shows, details, final details - we're running out - on how you can get your own little lucky ducky and our internationally renowned podcast.

I'm your host, Mike McGrath, wondering which third string Marvel character are they going to make the next movie about.

Brother Voodoo?

Fin Fang Foom?

The Human Top?

Paste-Pot Pete?

One thing I can say for certain, by the Shield of the Seraphim, I will see you again next week.