Soil is truly a garden’s foundation. Plants obtain water and many
nutrients from the soil – and interact with soil organisms. Soil conditions may
also limit the types of plants you can grow successfully. The more you know
about the characteristics of your soil, the better you can match plants and
watering methods to your unique soil conditions.
Urban
soils – including those in our gardens - are more complex than native soils.
In fact, urban soils are among the most difficult to classify – and work with –
of any soils world-wide. Learn more at http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/09/getting-to-know-your-gardens-soil-urban.html
Because soil is
so important, it pays to take a little time to get to know your soil’s
characteristics. Fortunately, there are several easy, inexpensive soil tests
that can tell you a lot about your soil.
For more on soil testing: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/10/getting-to-know-your-gardens-soil.html
A visit to the
local gardening center can be a confusing experience; there are so many
different soil amendment products available! All of them cost money and require
time and effort to use. So, what’s a sensible approach to soil amendments and fertilizers?
A soil perc test
tells you whether your soil drains quickly, slowly or somewhere in between.
Depending on your results, you may decide to select appropriate plants based on
their drainage needs. Alternatively, you may choose to alter the drainage of
parts of your garden. As always, your gardening choices are unique to your own
situation. For more about working
with and improving soil drainage see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/12/getting-to-know-your-gardens-soil.html
A soil in good
condition for growing crops, garden vegetables and other plants is said to have
‘good tilth’. It has the proper soil structure and nutrients to support healthy
plant growth. Good farmers and gardeners aspire to have soil with good tilth.
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