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Conditioning
Your Garden Soil -
When it comes to a success at
landscaping or gardening your soil is one of the more significant factors.
Sizing up the state of your soil, is a crucial step before getting your beds
ready and planting your plants. Below are few things to take into consideration:
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Different Soil Types
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Soil is a blend of
different types of organic, and inorganic materials, and mineral particles. The
size of the mineral particles establishes the soil's natural category loam,
clay, or sand.
You should know what soil is made of, so
you can avoid problems.
A soil-testing lab will analyze your soil,
and let you know type of soil you have. However, a test kit is available. When
wet, loam will form a clump that when squeezed will crumble easily into small
clumps. Wet clay turns into a hard clump that will not break up, and wet sand
will not clump no matter what.
With clay soil, you will have poor
drainage. Its small particles stick together when damp and hold water from
draining properly. Plants in clay get far too much water and not enough air to
flourish, and plant roots have trouble piercing the soil. Clay soils can be
improved upon with organic materials.
Sandy soils are made up of large particles, which make a porous mix and let
water drain through too fast. Plants rooted in sandy soil have trouble soaking
up water. Organic materials will aid with this type of soil.
The perfect soil is a mixture of small and large particles known as loam. It
holds water long enough for plants while draining away excess water.
Clay and sand soils can be made
better by adding organic matter in the spring. Peat moss, compost, and dried
manure are all good choices. Dig them into the soil a foot or more deep to
properly aerate the soil.
Testing Your Soil -
To find out what
nutrients your soil may be lacking it is a good idea to have the soil tested
before planting begins.
You ought to be able to get a lab in your local area to do a soil test for a
small cost. Your local nursery or County Office can help point you in the
correct direction, or you can purchase a test kit and do it yourself.
Testing will show which of the essential
basics for plant growth the soil is missing, primarily potassium, nitrogen, and
phosphorous. Adding fertilizers will improve your soil.
A soil test will also give you the ph
level, which shows the level of acid in your soil. Some plants thrive on high
quantities of acid. Others prefer a more alkaline soil. If it is too acidic, you
can add some lime to correct it. If it needs more acidity, you can add some
ammonium sulfate or aluminum sulfate to your soil.
Adding Organic Amendments
To Your Soil -
Organic amendments like
compost, manure, or peat moss will make your soil looser and encourage good
drainage. Organic amendments also enhance the soils ability to get nutrients
down to the roots.
It is best to add your amendments during
the spring before you plant. Then till the soil to loosen it up and make plant
growth easier.
Adding organic amendments to your soil
will have long-term benefits. In reality, you may not notice any dramatic
results for the first couple of years. After the amendments have had a chance to
break down you should see that the soil require less watering, becomes darker,
and is easier to work with.
The same kinds of amendments like manure, peat moss, and, compost will help
thicken sandy soils or thin out clay soils. Manure even contains some nutrients.
Adding Fertilizer To Your Soil - To
keep a garden producing it should get repeated doses of fertilizer. That is
because plants, wind, and rain eliminate many nutrients over time.
Fertilizers come in either organic or inorganic types. They both offer the same
essential nutrients that your plants or grass require to keep growing.
- Nitrogen helps plants to
create healthy green leaves and sturdy stems.
- Phosphorous
is critical for fruiting and flowering plants.
- Potassium
ensures the growth of healthy stems and roots.
Read
the labels on fertilizers look for the numbers that show the ratio of nutrients.
A label that has 10-10-10 it means it has ten percent phosphorous, ten percent
potassium, and ten percent nitrogen. Therefore, every 10 pounds of 10-10-10-
fertilizer puts a pound of each element back into your soil.
Use a fertilizer that has the correct mixture of supplement and nutrients to
meet the specific needs of your soils deficiencies.
There are disadvantages and advantages to both organic and chemical fertilizers.
Chemical fertilizers begin to work quicker and can be applied to your garden or
lawn in a balanced mix. Chemical fertilizers are cheaper than organic
fertilizers and can be used in a concentrated form. However, they can cause
damage to the environment, and can harm your plants if you apply it incorrectly.
Organic fertilizers are slower
working, but last longer than chemical fertilizers. Organic fertilizers
essentially build up the nutrients in your soil and earthworms thrive, so you
will not have to fertilize as often. However, they do not have a balanced blend
of nutrients that chemical fertilizers do.
There is another environmental problem that comes from using any type of
fertilizer. There is the possibility of causing pollution by running off into
ground water, lakes, and streams.
To stop runoff, do not apply fertilizers before a heavy rain, because it will
wash your fertilizer away. Do not let your fertilizer get on hard surfaces like
sidewalks and driveways where it can be washed away into sewers, and from there,
into streams and lakes.
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