Know Your Soil

KNOW YOUR SOIL!

First off, buying kits for Ph-testing of the soil. These are not always accurate, and are often affected by such environs as fertilizer, humidity, heat and cold.

JUST remember, soil no matter what type, can be converted to facilitate ANY plant, tree or shrub with the right conditioning.

Soil can be easily placed into four categories.

          1        Dry soil – easy drainage. This is soil such as sandy based, or thin top soil       and heavily graveled. Limestone and certain chalky areas. Making the Ph balance more alkali.

          2        Wet soil  - not easy drainage. Clay topsoil, thick topsoil that sports a          moss or similar. Flood zone areas, or prone to a lot of rain. Lower valley in particular.

          3        High Nutrient – plenty of good rich loam and top soil. Soil is darker than    most, and has a 'leafy' texture. Damp           but not sodden with water.

          4        Low Nutrient – this soil tends to be harder for even the weeds to populate.      It is often a lot more paler in color.  From an orange-red  – to even a           whitish-       gray.  Tends to accompany extremes of dry or wet. New housing often sits on soils   like this.

Another good way to check the variables in your soil is to identify what kind of plants (weeds,) are already in growth about your property. Along with the grass coloration. These are also great indicators to your soil's potential for use.

Not all soils need boosters of fertilizer, or more soil added.

But most need some form of stabilizing treatment.  Such as a simple soluble with water to kick start it. Or perhaps a good tilling.

Dry soil – May need some mixers. Best thing to stop it drying out quickly is, to add a  load of wood chips and mix it in when you till it, the second time.* Or an easy method, is to 'bank' it up. By raising it higher than the non-gardening section of the land. Then add your mixers.

Wet soil – You need to add a little sand, to aid in drainage. If you have a clay soil base, which is the most common for problems with drainage, then add wood chips along with your sand and some chalk. This works wonders. Also you may need some top soil too. This is due to it being flooded and nutrients washed away with some areas.

High Nutrient – Do not do a thing! Perfect soil! Congratulations! Just be careful! Do not add any unnecessary fertilizer to the soil. A good tip for the nutrients break up easily to feed your garden, is to add a tablespoon of Epsom salts per two gallons of water, and lightly, spray your garden, then till it.

Low Nutrient – Easy, get your fertilizer going! Such as cow, horse or chicken manure. Nutrients means nitrate levels. Compost, rotting leaves, all of this should be tilled in the first time, then tilled again to ensure equal distribution.

After your soil has been stabilized, then it's time to buy garden plants- Buy Trees, Shrubs & Plants at Garden Delights Nursery.