Hopefully the sulfur pellets will do their thing to lower the pH, and all those beans will sprout to help with the nitrogen deficiency. The beans alone are probably not enough, however, and after my call for help last week, one parent volunteer, Cris, responded with the suggestion to give the whole garden a natural nitrogen boost with composted chicken poop. She recommended the brand chickitydoodoo, so the next day brave Margie went and bought some at a garden center and dropped it off at the school with all her windows rolled down because let me tell you, chicken poop STINKS, even if it is good for the soil.
I found that out for myself on Sunday morning when Margie and Eldon and I met to spread the stuff on the back garden. We chatted for a bit, pulled some weeds in the mulch surrounding the plot, then opened the first bag of Chickity Doo Doo. Mercy. Even though this stuff is composted, the olfactory senses leave no doubt what it was to begin with. We spread about a third of the bag, gently raked it in, and then got out of dodge as fast as we could.
Something that smells that bad had better be good for the garden, that's what I say.
Next, Eldon and I cleared out the garden area by the red wall, where we cut down the last of the peas, dug a few volunteer potatoes, and planted beans, carrots and cilantro. We talked about our families, pondered the mysteries of the Crestwood garden soil, sprinkled sulfur pellets and chicken poop, then said our quick goodbyes before hurrying off to gulp some fresh air and get on with our lives.
Cheers,
Susan