Best Garden Soil

Read about her gardening adventures in Dirt on Gardening . Spring applications of sulfur are generally the most effective. In a nutshell, the pH is the comparative measure of hydrogen and hydroxide ions present.

Another way to add organic matter is through cover cropping. Adding compost is one simple and effective way to add organic matter (and plant food to boot). If the pH is off or it there's too much of a certain nutrient, it won't perform like you need it...

Wear a bandanna, gloves and long sleeves to protect yourself, and add ash spreading to the long list of ways that heating with wood can warm you up. There, the cycle is repeated ad nauseam until the water reaches the ocean, perhaps causing fish kills...

This compost should be fully mature, not slimy, and added as soil is being prepared for planting. But it's also a great way to check your progress, so over the years, as you amend and grow, you can see through a soil test how well you're doing.

Oat straw has long been used to support the deficiencies that come from poor calcium absorption. As a medicinal, alfalfa is sold dry, mainly for tea. In The Soil Will Save Us (Rodale, 2014), author Kristin Ohlson writes that the imprudent ways we manage...

Some claim organically grown produce is more nutritious than conventionally grown produce, while others insist there is no difference . The first place to start when trying to answer this question is to perform a soil test on your garden; balanced soil...

Peat-Soil Combination Mix 2 parts vermiculite 3 parts sphagnum peat moss 2 parts perlite 2 parts dehydrated manure 3 parts garden soil 1/2 part bone meal 5. Lime for each shovel of peat moss 2.

On cold spring nights, the warmth stored in the soil during the day can moderate the temperatures around young seedlings and prevent cold shock or frost damage. Depending on the soil texture, this water drains through the soil either quite quickly or...

Clay is also more likely to compact, as anyone who has encountered clay after rain can affirm as they scrape the gunk off their shoes and garden tools. Perhaps the most challenging to amend is clay soil, but all is not lost.

This activity is called rotational grazing. Even if you have excess nutrients, this might not be a bad idea because you can always add the deficient nutrients to rebalance the soil in the new year.

As the traditional gardening season comes to an end, we gardeners are finishing up the last of our seasonal chores. In the spring, I used this old soil to pot up divisions of hostas, daylilies and other perennials to share with friends.

Me, I'll be busy today liberating another piece of my garden from the Rock and Stone troops. I was recruited to work in several foreign countries, and I did start thinking that I might enjoy living in Europe for awhile.

Foliar sprays must have a wetting agent added that allows them to penetrate that waxy coating. Therefore, your goal when using soil-amendment fertilizers is to balance fertility levels for optimum plant growth by supplementing minerals that are lacking.

At this point, it can be left as is; the weight of the wood combined with filling will keep it in place. For sides that are longer than 4 or 5 feet, plan to have upright supports in the middle to prevent the longer boards from bowing out.

Learn why soil tests are so beneficial and get tips on how to properly conduct a soil test. Traditional soil tests are offered by most Cooperative Extension Services at land grant universities across the U.S. Soil tests are also available from independent...

These days I estimate another two or three years until the garden really looks spectacular. Luckily, there are a whole lot of bottles available to collect, and my neighbors continue to bring me their empty bottles for recycling.

A popular choice as a soil amendment is powdered or granular chelated iron. By the next year, the tree was thriving. It is often especially prevalent in acidic soils or soils with an excess of copper, manganese or phosphorus.

In 2012, trees in Michigan, Wisconsin and New York were seriously impacted by late frosts, as the warm soil caused trees to bloom earlier than expected. “The net difference of 10 to 27 degrees F … will impact all things vegetation: lawns, crops ,...

The University of Minnesota recommends that additional iron sulfate applications of more than 7 pounds per 100 square foot be spaced one to two months apart. Soil Problem No. 4: Soil is acidic.

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2017 issue of Hobby Farms. It's difficult to grow healthy food in unhealthy soil and raise vigorous livestock on depleted pastureland.

I usually leave enormous trunks of felled trees to decompose in situ , where they become habitat to detritus feeders, like pillbugs and beetles, as well as creatures like solitary bees and wasps.

How Much Are You Composting? I have found that well-composted plots don't dry faster, per se, but they do distribute their moisture well and become workable at a faster rate. Although there are several disadvantages to growing in wide beds as opposed...

To make the handles, mark one cut, use the jig saw to cut the curve and then use the leftover piece to mark the cut for the other three handles. A project of this nature doesn't really require the notches.

Decide where your plants will be located, then dig individual holes and amend them with peat or other organic soil amendments. These breaks in the slick surface will allow drainage and absorption.Maintaining moisture during dry periods is critical; do...

Check out our other soil-building articles: What Is Soil pH? Send them samples from each of your growing zones and include separate soil samples from both problem areas and productive ones.

Soil blocks are an eco-friendly way to get your seeds started and make transplanting a cinch. Shift the soil blocker slightly around its axis so the soil more readily packs inside.

Leaf Mold/Humus Average pH: 7.5 Nutritional Content: Leaf mold and humus have moderate but balanced nutrient levels, and also contain many minor nutrients. They've also got great water holding capacity.