As we move into Spring, it's time to think about getting your garden soil in top condition. In this posting I suggest two ways to increase the fertility of your soil.
Professional Soil Testing
I had my soil tested professionally for first time last season and think this service is invaluable. Having your soil tested by a professional service provides more accurate results than can be achieved with kits from the garden store. Additionally, a soil testing service tells you exactly what quantities of specific amendments (compost, alfalfa, bone meal, sulfur, etc.) need to be added to the soil to bring up its fertility.
Generally, it takes several years to get soil to peak fertility, so it's a good idea to do testing each spring for several years. To learn more about soil testing and review an actual test report, see my prior posting on this subject:
The Dirt on Dirt: What You Get with Professional Soil Testing
Start Composting
One soil amendment that you can count on adding each year is compost. Compost is just decomposed plant matter that is added to soil as a natural fertilizer for your plants.
You can buy compost from your local garden store, but its very easy to create your own using lawn clippings, leaves, and kitchen scraps like coffee grounds, beet tops, carrot peals etc. Composting is achieved by adding consecutive layers of green matter, brown matter, and soil. It's not hard to do but there are a few tricks that will increase your chances for success. Below are two posting that explain how compost and how to create a composting bin.
Using compost can reduce the need for water, fertilizers, and pesticides. It serves as a marketable commodity and is a low-cost alternative to standard landfill cover and artificial soil amendments.
Posted by: plumbing | 07/30/2011 at 07:31 PM