garden soil

[rae-dean]

we have pumice for soil.lots grows in it.lots of some bushes we have no idea what they are.we also have a growing season that can get frost anytime of the summer.also it has snowed in july before.an old guy down the road from us was so proud-he paid 750.00$ for a load of soil.hello-it looks just like the pumice we all have up there.
so we have several things to overcome.any tips on this situation?
rae-dean

[DM]

If it was me, i'd be adding all the compost i could get. Leaves from town, grass clippings and what ever else i could get...

DM

[rae-dean]

Dm-good plan and point taken.there is plenty of that good stuff about...thanks for the response.rae-dean

[NCLee]

From what I understand volcanic soils are rich in the nutrients that make plants grow well. Think Hawaii and how lush the growth is there on volcanic soil.

You may want to investigate growing in "cold frames" (google with quote marks) to extend your growing season. With those you should be able to get some good harvests of cool season crops, even if there's a chance of snow in July. (Hope that doesn't happen often - here we can get snow in late April, but that's rare.)

Start a compost pile, and compost everything (except fats and grease) that comes from your kitchen. That includes coffee filters, used paper towels, egg shells and any other organic materials. Add to it dry stuff like grass clipping, hay, leaves. Mix in some good garden dirt (even if you have to haul it in from somewhere else). That dirt will be thriving with life that'll help break down your compost. Due to your temperature situation you may not be able to run a hot compost pile. So, it'll take longer with a cool pile. Thus, you need to try to keep out weed seeds and any plants that show signs of disease. However, in time you'll have some good "stuff" for your gardening.

Try to get someone locally to help identify the bushes and trees on your place, if you haven't already done so. You may have some wild foods growing there. Don't have any idea what they may be for your area. But, usually most places have something during the year that can be a tasty treat.

Just some thoughts that may be helpful.
Lee