How To Test Soil Moisture

The Master Gardener on duty will ascertain the root of the problem and suggest solutions.I've been a Master Gardener since 1997 and can attest that it's one of the most rewarding things that I've ever done.

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. As a general rule, a potted plant in a container measuring 6 inches in diameter needs water...

By measuring both the pH level and pinpointing nutrient deficiencies, a soil test can provide the information necessary for maintaining the most optimal fertility each year.Most plants, including grasses, flowers, and vegetables, perform best in slightly...

So if it's so good for your garden, why use soil at all? Keep reading to learn more about the wisdom of vegetable growing in compost without soil.Can plants grow in compost only? When mixed with topsoil, compost works wonders with water, as it allows...

For this same reason, sawdust can also be used as a mulch to help reduce nitrogen in the soil.When you have too much nitrogen in soil, your plants may look lush and green, but their ability to fruit and flower will be greatly reduced.

Is citrus juice good for plants?freestar.queue.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-300x250-ATF-1"); });Feeding plants with small amounts of citrus fruit juice is unlikely to kill the plant over a short period of time.

Terra preta is a type of soil prevalent in the Amazon Basin. This is quite different from slash and burn practices.Slash and char leaves behind durable, slow to break down carbon charcoal.

That is, salt takes the moisture out of things. Acan help you determine if your soil has what it takes. So how can you use pickle juice to improve plant growth then?The secret is in the application and the dilution of the pickle juice.

Epsom salt is made up of hydrated magnesium sulfate (magnesium and sulfur), which is important to healthy plant growth.freestar.queue.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-300x250-ATF-1"); });Why not?

Using a little elbow grease and lovely organic goodies from fall clean up or compost worked into the soil to a depth of at least 8 inches will provide an excellent soil amendment.Studies have shown that soils with at least 10 percent organic matter don't...

The key to growing a healthy garden is clean, healthy soil. Adjusting theto as close to neutral as possible will help reduce the negative impact of contaminants.Contaminated soil treatment also includes adding plenty of rich.

Throughout history gardeners in coastal regions have recognized the benefits of the slimy green “gold” that washes up along the shore. Some experts suggest soaking the seaweed for about an hour and/or rinsing it.

These days, tilling dirt is a matter of personal choice. You need the soil to be at least 60 F. If you are unable to keep your hand or finger in the soil for a full minute, than the soil is not warm enough.

This soil is very organic but isn't nutrient rich and is prone to water logging, though adding amendments can make it suitable for plant growing. The ideal combination is soil consisting of 40 percent sand, 40 percent silt, and only 20 percent clay.

Did you know that using aspirin in the garden can have a beneficial effect on many of your plants? Acetylsalicylic acid is the active ingredient in aspirin and is derived from salicylic acid, which is naturally found in, and many other trees.

Fungi are usually considered microbes, even though they can take single-celled or multicellular forms and produce both visible and microscopic parts above and below the ground.Microbial life in soil includes living things in each of these groups.

Low macro and micro-nutrients cause problems likegardeners like to turn to natural products for answers to common nutrient problems. Using eggs as a fertilizer is an old trick, but it can have some unpleasant secondary effects.

Peat moss first became available to gardeners in the mid-1900s, and since then it has revolutionized the way we grow plants. It holds several times its weight in moisture, and releases the moisture to the plants roots as needed.

This is why we must replace them each year with plant fertilizer.For many years, home gardeners and farmers used “free” manure to fertilize their crops.can still be purchased to dig into the garden and/or compost at ¼- to ½-inch layers.freestar.queue.push(function()...

The bone meal will release phosphorus into the soil for up to four months.Bone meal is also useful for balancing out other high nitrogen, organic soil amendments. The effectiveness of bone meal phosphorus drops significantly if theis above 7.

We gardeners love our plants — we spend huge parts of our summers watering, plucking weeds, pruning and picking bugs off of every denizen of the garden, but when it comes to fertilizing, we often fall into bad habits.

While weeds can be a menace and an eyesore as they creep throughout our lawns and gardens, they can also provide important clues to the quality of your soil. Garden soil conditions and weeds are a tool you can use to improve your lawn and garden.

Before making soil acidic, you should first perform aOne of the easiest ways to make soil more acidic is to add. Let's take a look at how to raise acid level in soil.While most plants grow best in soils between 6 and 7.5, others are favorable to more...

If the ash gets wet, you'll need to refresh the wood ashes as the water will leach away the salt that makes wood ashes an effective pest control.Another use for ashes in the garden is to change the pH of the soil.

This is partly why there are so many different fertilizers available to consumers. Fertilizers can provide these nutrients immediately or slowly over time. Using slow release fertilizers eliminates the risk ofPer pound, the cost of slow release fertilizers...

As mentioned, it can burn your plants if not used properly. Blood meal can quickly add nitrogen to the soil, which can be a plus for soil that has been drained of nitrogen through repeated plantings.

The night's coolness is still mostly in the soil at this time.Soil readings for seeds are done in 1 to 2 inches of soil. In zones with higher numbers, the soil temperature will warm up quickly and earlier in the season.