slayer_54

i wanna plant some plots in northern mn, and the soil is sandy and acidic. what can i plant up there?

Soilman

How acidic? How dry is the soil in the summer? Oats can tolerate a pH of 5. They are also well suited to cool summers in northern MN. Rye would also do OK to a pH of 5, and provide a fresh green food source in the fall. You could try to lime the soil, sand takes less lime to raise the pH than finer textured soils. If you can raise the pH to near 6, clover, short day corn, soybeans, and turnips are possible (if the soilisn't drought prone in the summer).

Muliefever

first do a soil test! I am in Northern MI. I too share acidic sandy soil. It sucks! However, with proper lime and fertilizer I had good first year plots with a spring planting of clover and alfalfa. Then I tilled it back into the ground and planted rye, brassica, turnips and oats. Came in good too. This year I am going for some more winter greens!

slayer_54

i have not had the ph tested yet but last year i tried pumpkin and beets (more of a garden than a plot but i wanted somethin that would last into the later months. the beets never came and the pumpkins got small blossoms so i would assume that with some lime and love and care they could come. i do know that my grandparents spread lime on lawn and it did wonders. also i noticed that some people put cocoa shells, or wood chips in their gardens, would help keep plots moist too?

Soilman

Yes,wood chipsor cocoa shell mulch will help the soil hold moisture. They reduce evaporation, and keep weeds from growing. Be careful with cocoa sheels if you have a dog; if the dog eats it they will have a reaction as if they ate chocolate. The chip/shell mulch would work great for crops like pumpkins. Pumpkins need a lot of room between vines. Crops like oats will not do well with mulch. Oats form a "living mulch" by growing densely together. Chip/shell mulch will also take up nitrogen as they decay. A good tip for pumpkins is to place 1 pound of nitrogen (such as 2 lbs 46-0-0) in a circle 12-18 inches around the vine at first flower. Pumpkins also need heat, so they may not fully mature in northern MN without some global warming. I think you are on the right track. Test the soil pH, and add lime if necessary. That will be the best first step.

USFWC

What part of N. Minnesota are you in?

slayer_54

hackensack

1sagittarius

blueberrys and ferns. .... never mind.

Start with lime and potassium pera soil test. A soil test will tell you what the soil actually requires for a reasonable plot.

Winter rye and alsike clover if they can get enough moisture to get started.