Adding nutrients

My experience with the raised beds in the mountains was an eye-opener. 

Fresh commercial compost supported a remarkable lettuce, chard, bean, and tomato harvest (and it's still coming).

So at home in the Piedmont, I've refreshed all of my turned-over beds with compost (with big bags of Brown Kow, a commercial cow manure compost product). 

I wish I had enough homemade compost to do it, but obviously, keeping nutrient availability high requires a LOT more that what I've been doing.  And I'm happier using Brown Kow (a venerable product that I've used in the past) than the 'compost' offered up as a generic big box equivalent.

I've sowed seeds of mesclun mix, arugula, cilantro, etc. in flats and directly in the soil. We'll see.

Happily, the asparagus beds are flourishing, too.  Woodchucks DON'T like asparagus.  Hooray!