How To Condition Soil

Combine water and orange juice in a watering can at a ratio of 2 tablespoons juice to one quart of water and mix well.Then simply water the area around your plants. Just use enough of the diluted orange juice mix to dampen, not saturate the soil.Wash...

One thing is clear. These master gardeners knew how to create a nutrient rich soil also known as “dark earth.” Their efforts left behind clues for the modern gardener on how to create and develop garden spaces with superior growing medium.

I'm not sure whose idea to use pickle juice for plant growth was, but it actually has some merit. Pickle juice also contains a lot of salt, and salt is a desiccant. There are many remedies for improving the acidity of the soil.

This “best kept secret” has been around for many generations, but does it really work, and if so, how? Using Epsom salt in gardening is not a new concept. It can even help plants grow bushier.

Can negatively affect percolation, tilth, root growth, moisture retention and soil composition. However, it doesn't work inand it can deposit an excess of calcium in regions where the mineral is already abundant.Additionally, in areas with poor salinity,...

Contaminants in soil can quickly lead to an array of problems, so determining possible causes of soil contamination beforehand and learning how to clean contaminated soils is very important.Before you begin to plan and construct your garden, it's always...

Either way, fresh seaweed is generally dried before being tilled into garden, mixed into compost bins, laid as mulch or made into DIY seaweed fertilizer tea or powder.Once dried, seaweed can be used immediately in the garden, or chopped up, mulched or...

Much like you would when you are mowing the lawn, go across the soil one row at a time.Slowly make your rows. There are others who believe that tilling your soil at all can be harmful to your soil in the long term.

The ideal combination is soil consisting of 40 percent sand, 40 percent silt, and only 20 percent clay. Additionally, peat– with chalky soil, there will be a layer of white, grit-like fragments along the bottom of the jar and the water will take on...

This natural cure all really can boost the health of your plants. Not all plants may be suitable for the aspirin regimen, but it has been shown that theBest of all, aspirin is fairly inexpensive and won't harm plants if applied properly.

Current research is revealing even more ways beneficial microbes help cultivated plants. Farmers have known for years that microbes are critical for soil and plant health. By this definition, “microbe” includes microscopic animals like nematodes along...

Raw egg fertilizer may not be the best way to introduce calcium to your plants, but theOur grandparents didn't have access to the modern formulations for soil amendment and instead relied uponto boost soil fertility and tilth.

Peat moss alone does not make a good potting medium. While performing these amazing tasks, it also improves the texture and consistency of the soil. Peat moss first became available to gardeners in the mid-1900s, and since then it has revolutionized the...

They don't sound particularly edible either. Plant fertilizer purchased from the local garden nursery often has chemicals that not only may harm your plants, but are not environmentally friendly.

If the dowel comes out clean, the soil is dry. A variety of simple, inexpensive soil moisture meters are available in garden centers and nurseries, and many are suitable for both indoor and outdoor growing.

Bone meal fertilizer is often used by organic gardeners to addto garden soil, but many people who are unfamiliar with this organic soil amendment may wonder, “What is bone meal?” and “How to use bone meal on flowers?” Keep reading below to learn...

Managing fertilizer burn in the garden depends on your speed at recognizing the signs in your plants. This is due to the accumulation of fertilizer salts in tissues and a lack of water to flush them out due to root damage.When you realize you've over...

Understanding weeds as indicators of soil conditions will help youHow to Tell Which Soil You Have by the Weeds in Your Landscapefreestar.queue.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-300x250-ATF-1"); });The battle with weeds will most likely never...

If you don't already live in an area where the soil is acidic, making soil acidic will involve adding products that lower the soil pH.measures the alkalinity or acidity levels, which range from 0 to 14 on the pH scale.

A common question about composting is, “Should I put ashes in my garden?” You may wonder if ashes in the garden will help or hurt, and if you use wood or charcoal ashes in the garden, how it will affect your garden.

These can bethat add nutrients to the soil by naturally breaking down and decomposing. The main reason, however, is that different plants and different soil types have different nutrient needs.

If you are looking to incorporate more organic gardening methods into your garden, you may have come across a fertilizer called blood meal. Blood meal can quickly add nitrogen to the soil, which can be a plus for soil that has been drained of nitrogen...

Sample at least 4 to 6 inches deep for transplants. (24 C).This happy medium is suitable for beginning plant growth with the assumption that optimum temperatures will occur as the season progresses.

Stunted growth is common, and fruit trees may be less productive.If you suspect your water contains high levels of boron, you can confirm your suspicions (or not) by having your water tested.If boron levels are high, there isn't too much home gardeners...

One recommended addition to consider is an organic, slow-release, balanced fertilizer. It takes planning and hard work to put together a good raised-bed system. Offer gardeners many advantages.

Plants also require many micronutrients. They can even threaten wildlife when they drink from these resources or feed on the garden plants. Nonetheless, millions of gardeners prefer using conventional fertilizers over other methods, as they are less expensive...

These figures refer to the amount of finely ground limestone needed to raise the pH of 100 square feet of soil one point (for example, from 5.0 to 6.0).You'll begin to see a measurable difference in the soil pH about four weeks after adding lime, but...