Soil Good soil is the most important ingredients for a healthy, successful garden. What is soil made of? It’s a mixture of air, water, inorganic material, minerals and decomposed plant and animal material. That sounds disgusting, doesn’t it? You can buy a soil kit at Garden Stores or through Mail Order Catalogues. It will help you determine what your garden is composed of before you decide what to plant. There are 2 basic types of soil: clay and sandy.
Most soil is a combination of these 2 and is sometimes visible as separate layers. Soil can be further classified by its pH level. The 2 extremes are acidic, like lemons or alkaline like a battery. Most dirt falls somewhere between the 2 but you may find it can be improved by adding specific organic nutrients or bulk to it. This is called soil conditioning Testing Soil
It’s easy to find out the composition of your soil and the amount of organic matter in it. You will need: a 4 cup mason jar (1 Litre) with a lid just a bit less than 3 cups (750 ml) of water a squirt of dishwasher gel or powder or TSP (Trisodiumphosphate), which you can find at a hardware or paint store. about 1/4 cup (125 ml) of dirt from the top 8" (20 cm) of the garden. Fill the jar with the water and enough Gel or TSP until the jar is 3/4 full. Add enough soil to the soap mixture to just about fill the jar. Screw the lid on tightly and shake the jar well. Put the jar somewhere it won’t get bumped and let it stand overnight. This will allow the layers to separate and settle. The next day you should be able to see the different layers. The heaviest elements will be at the bottom of the jar, the lightest at the top. Use the chart to determine what type of soil your garden most closely resembles. Once you have tested the soil from your garden you can learn the best way to condition and improve it Soil pH Soil pH level is important to know because it affects the way plants absorb nutrients from the soil. The pH scale is used to measure how acidic or alkaline the soil is. You can purchase a pH Test kit from a Garden Store, Nursery or from a Mail Order Catalogue. It is a specially treated strip of paper called Litmus paper that will turn pink or blue depending on the pH level of the soil. If the pH level is 1 to 3, the soil is very acidic, like lemons. Few plants will tolerate acidic soil except blueberries. If the soil has a pH level of 4 to 7, it is neutral which most plants prefer. If the pH level is higher than 7, it is alkaline, like the soil in the desert and most plants can’t adapt to it except cacti. Some Universities have a Department of Agriculture that will test your soil for you, sometimes for free. Ask what size sample they require and how to prepare it for shipping.
Clay soil is made of very fine dirt particles that stick together well when they are wet. This blocks the air from plant roots and causes them to “starve” even though the soil is actually rich in nutrients. The dirt stays heavy and cold when it’s waterlogged and will rot the roots. Once it dries out the particles glue themselves tightly together and the soil becomes hard and crusty. If your garden has a lot of clay in the soil there are many ways to help it unlock its nutrients and make it healthier for your plants. Don’t till wet clay soil in the spring or it will become as hard as a rock! Let it dry out first. Once it’s dry it needs to be roughed up with a rake or hoe so that it doesn’t form a hard, crusty layer on the top. This will also help it to warm up and dry out faster. Mix at least 6 inches (15 cm) of composted or organic matter or 12 inches (30 cm) of leaves into clay soil. You could also add sand, straw, peat moss or compost. This will create air and water pockets and release the soil’s nutrients to your plants’ roots. Don’t rake clay soil smooth. Put mulch on the soil to keep it from drying into a hard crust. This will also encourage worms to dig tunnels and leave their nutrient-rich manure behind. If you intend to plant tiny seeds, use 1 of the tiny seed methods that will help them sprout through this type of soil. Ideally, autumn is the best time to condition clay soil. Fall frosts will help to break up large clumps of clay soil as will winter freezing and spring thawing. It will also warm up and dry up quicker in the spring. Sandy Soil Sandy soil is made of larger, gritty particles that don’t stick together well. It’s much easier to dig than clay soil and it warms up more quickly because it has better aeration (air flow), which will allow you to plant earlier. Because it is looser than clay soil it lets moisture and nutrients flow through it too easily which means sandy soil can become acidic. Plants will quickly dry out and be undernourished if this soil isn’t properly conditioned. Improving sandy soil is simply a matter of adding enough organic matter or compost to hold moisture and add nutrients. Put 6 inches (15 cm) of sandy soil on top or underneath a bed of organic matter. It’s not important that it decompose because its purpose is to hold moisture and nutrients. Mixing in raw sawdust is a good, long-lasting soil conditioner but make sure it comes from wood that hasn’t been chemically treated. If you have a large an area to condition try trench composting or growing your plants in a hay garden. |
