Preparation of garden soil

 Garden soil

Grow on a strong foundation, you will produce healthy, nutritious vegetables and beautiful flowers every year.

Healthy soil is the basis of healthy plants and a healthy environment. The need for fertilizers or pesticides is less when the garden soil is in good condition. As a writer and respected gardener, Frank Doser writes, "When you build the soil you can not only improve the health of your plants but also your own."

Organic soils are rich in humus, the end result of decaying materials such as leaves, grass clippings, and compost. It retains moisture, but drains well. Good organic garden soil is loose and fluffy - filled with air needed for plant roots - and contains plenty of minerals needed for intensive plant growth. It is alive with living organisms ranging from earthworms to fungi and bacteria that help maintain soil quality. Proper pH is an essential characteristic of healthy soil.

So, how do you know if your soil is healthy? What would you do if it weren’t?

Bring your gardens to a great start and produce them with premium quality soil corrections. Need advice? Our Soil Blog provides you with the ideas, information, and practical experience you need to get the job done right.

Determining soil health

Of the 17 or more elements considered essential for plant growth, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are the most important (see the number?). Plants are called primary or macronutrients because they take in large amounts from the soil. Fertilizers containing all three of these nutrients are called complete fertilizers, but they are not complete in the absolute sense. Calcium, magnesium, and sulfur, also known as secondary nutrients, are important for many plants. Low or micronutrients include boron, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc. Some plant microorganisms have specific functions, such as cobalt, which are not used by most plants, but legumes help fix nitrogen. Another important component of your soil is its acid-base balance or pH reading. All of these essentials - and the right structure - create healthy soil.

Test

One way to determine what minerals are missing or abundant in your soil is to test them. Local cooperative extension services often offer low-cost soil testing. These tests usually measure soil pH, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and sometimes nitrogen levels. They can also inform the micronutrient content of the soil, but it is not necessary for the gardener to add a lot of organic matter to the soil. For less intensive testing, choose a do-it-yourself version, such as the Rapidest Soil Test Kit, and do your own simple, effective chemistry.

The Rapitest® Soil Test Kit has a "color comparator" and capsule structure that is designed to be easy to use with precise results. Give it a try! This is a quick and fun way to achieve the best results from your gardening endeavors!

PH levels can be important for your plant's ability to absorb nutrients. Most minerals and nutrients are best available to plants in soils with a pH of 6.5-6.8. If your soil is acidic (low pH, 6.0 or below) or alkaline (high pH, ​​above 7.0) no matter how rich it is, plants will not be able to absorb them. pH is usually added to the soil test or you can buy a pH meter and determine the acid-base balance of your soil yourself.

The best time to inspect the soil is in the spring or fall when it is most stable. If your soil is low in minerals or nutrients, this is the best time to add soil corrections or organic fertilizers.

Soil structure and type

You need to uncover the pH, macronutrient content, and mineral levels of your soil and examine its structure.

Soil structure depends on the amount of sand, sediment, and clay. A simple description of the three main soil components and an easy test to determine your soil type can be found on NASA's Soil Science Education page. The sand forms very large soil particles and feels coarse to the touch. The next amount of sediment particles is slippery when wet and powder when dry. The smallest pieces are clay. They are flat and stack together like sheets or sheets of paper. You do not need an expert to determine the structure of the soil. Take a little and your finger Rub betweens. If the soil feels rough, it is considered sandy. If the soil feels soft like talcum powder, it will be alluvial. If the soil is hard when dry and slippery and sticky when wet, the soil is heavy clay. Most will fall somewhere in the middle of the soil.

Sandy soil nutrients are depleted due to the rapid release of water and nutrients in large gaps between sand particles. These soils are low in beneficial microorganisms and organic matter that thrive on plants.

Sedimentary soil is dense and does not drain well. They are richer than sandy or loamy soils.

Heavy clay soils are very dense, do not drain well and are hard and brittle

When dry ck. Since there is not much space between the clay particles, there is usually not much organic matter or microbial life in the soil. Plant roots are hard to grow on hard materials.