Question
In fall of 2006 we cut down poplar trees and made a garden spot, but when I planted last year my plants were dwarf in size with very little vegie production.  My peas and beans were bigger than the actual plant.  I had a very poor under ground crop, no carrots beets,ect and my potatoes were very small, out of about 40 plants of potatoes I had enough for 2 meals.  What can I do to fix this prob?

Answer
Hi Tanya, You need to loosen the soil and incorporate some organic matter.  You could use leaves, grass clippings (if herbicide free), finely ground pine bark, composted manure or, even better, a blend of all of the above.  I'd add about 4" of organic matter and till it into the top 10" of soil.  Then have your pH checked, and adjust it to 6 to 6.5 if needed and then plant.  Use a fertilizer that is fairly low in nitrogen and avoid over watering.  Make sure you are getting 8 plus hours of direct sun and you should grow a bumper crop. Jim