Soil mix for Raised Beds

  I have two beds that have just been put together. Both beds are the same size 4 foot by 16 foot long and empty ready to be filled. I like to start filling them with peat moss I add a 3 cubic foot bag in each bed.

 

 Next I add some good compost.

 Then some rock dust. This is granite. I purchased this granite at a sand and rock company it is a finely sifted granite. Five to Ten percent of the bed will be filled with rock dust

 Next a few bags of manure. Mix well and keep adding manure, peat moss, compost, rock dust, vermiculite or perlite until filled.

 When I fill my raised beds my formula is 10 percent rock dust 5 percent will work but I like 10 percent best and this you can get at your local cement company or rock and sand company if you have your own truck it is very affordable about 10 to 20 bucks for a half yard I like granite or volcanic cinder sand but river rock crushed and fine screened is good. Next 40 to 50 percent will be compost. Then comes the other 40-50 percent I suggest peat moss and vermiculite or perlite a good mix of both would be best.

 And thats it add water and a good heirloom tomato and you will be rocking some killer tomatoes... lol later dayz...   dusty... In the next few weeks I will mix up my container mix. It is very simular but with a little more vermiculite or perlite and I use azomite as my rock dust in this mix at about one pound per square foot.

Dusty River Gardens Tomato List 2012

 
Here is a list of our tomato starts that we are selling this year. We will also be at the Snowflake growers market on Saturdays starting in May. We only have two hybrids on the list and the rest are open pollinated.
Chocolate Cherry- Exceptional tomato flavor 1 inch round dark almost chocolate in color.
Sun Gold F1 hybrid- Heavy yields of golden cherry tomatoes... a favorite of mine
Liam's Brandywine- better than average production from a brandywine great taste. 1-2 pounders!
Carbon- among the darkest of the black tomatoes 8-12 oz tomatoes delicious
San Marzano Determinate- famous tomato for Italian sauces this is my choice for a paste tomato.
San Marzano Lungo #2- a newer selection heavy producer another great one for sauces.
San Marzano Ravello F1 hybrid also known as Mini Marzano- excellent fruity flavor. loads up...
Berkley Tie Dye- Green fruit with yellow and red stripes 8-16oz great acid tomato...yum
Sweet Carneros Pink- Rose pink with gold stripes 2-4oz sweet flavor
Trenton's Tiger- egg shaped fiery red with green stripes that turn gold when ripe. 2oz wilt gene
Solar Flare- Beef steak 6-10 oz red with gold stripes a sweet tomato flavor good producer.
Golden Gates- Yellow gold stripped roma shaped. plant has the wilt gene. 2-4 oz
Pink Berkley Tie Dye- portwine colored beefsteak with metallic green stripes 8-12 oz average.
Spot Yellow- clusters of canary yellow spotted 3-5 oz round tomatoes with a citrus note.
Pink Boar- portwine colored with metallic silver green stripes very good. 2-4oz.
Black & Brown Boar- dark earthy tones rich flavor originated from green zebra. 3-4 inch fruit.
Mr. Stripey- large bi-colored beefsteak tomatoes excellent tasting. good producer.
Giant Belgium- pink beefsteak large very good grower did very well in my gardens.
Siberian Pink Honey- oxheart shaped produces many over 2 pounds very early very good tomato.
Plum Lemon- canary yellow tomato looks just like a lemon.
Homestead- 8 oz red tomatoes produces well in the heat.
Margarets Favorite Tommy Toe- cherry tomato sweet good disease resistance.
Green Zebra- beautiful chartreuse with deep lime green stripes. wow factor. 3oz
Bradley- excellent slicer pink variety globe shaped very good producer on a compact plant.
Coyote- a tiny cherry tomato ivory turning yellow when ripe the flavor is superb.
Indego Rose- the darkest tomato so far. green to purple red when ripe. 2oz
Evan's Purple Pear- purple pear shaped fruit good producer good flavor. 2-3oz
Green Doctors- large vines huge yields green cherry variety good sweetness lots of flavor.
Dwarf Mr Snow- light yellow beefsteak compact 4 foot plants grows great in containers.
Rosella Purple (dwarf)- purple tomato beefsteak 3 foot tall plants great in containers.
Dwarf Beryl Beauty- green tomato beefsteak 4 foot tall great in containers.
Brandy Sweet Plum- elongated pink cherry excellent sweet flavor.
Gajo De Melon- beautiful bi-colored cherry fruity sweet.
Green Zebra Cherry- no relation to the green zebra strong producer of green gold striped tomatoes.
Sweet Beverly- excellent sweet taste light yellow to deep orange. very good producer.
Black Mauri or Black Moor- chocolate brown grape sweet and crisp hi yields even in hot weather.
Violet Jasper- violet purple fruit with iredescent green streaks! great yields. 1-3 oz
Snow White- one of the few white cherry tomatoes. small ivory colored.
Dr Carolyn- pale yellow cherry tomatoes. very sweet 1 oz.
Morning Sun- yellow grape shaped tomatoes bears clusters of 8 sweet fruit.
Costolute Genovese- old italian heirloom heavy ribbed great producer 4-8 oz red fruit.
Black Pineapple or Ananas Noire- multicolored green yellow and purple mix. a pound and up.
Striped Roman or Speckled Roman- long red fruit with orange stripes paste tomato.
Black Sea Man- medium sized brownish pink fruits with olive green shading. good in containers.
Principe Borghese- italian heirloom 1-2 oz plum shaped red. a great tomato for dehydrating.
Opalka- 3 inch by 6 inch red paste tomato. excellent flavor. from Poland.

There are some incredible tomatoes here stop by and get a few... lol   later dusty...