You will find here everything you need to know about Gardener's Loam - an ideal, man-made garden soil of such quality that it cannot be directly compared with native earth or with the loams and clays of the farmer's field. You will also find discussion of nutrients, organic matter, wat...
A good soil test will evaluate the basic texture of your soil—sand, silt, or clay—and determine its acidity—the pH level. The available nutrients, including magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, will be calculated, and recommendations will be made for raising each to the correct le...
To slow the growth of weeds, add alayerof weed-free, organic material to the top of your garden, around the plants. This material, called mulch, improves the soil and keeps weeds from growing. Reich sayswood chips,sawdust,grass clippings,strawand pine needles are good for mulches. ...
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The key to a great garden is great soil. Some people are blessed with great soil. My parents live in a river valley and have gorgeous soil. My husband and I bought our house shortly before we got married and I quickly realized that we have, at best, clay soil and at worst, rocky,...
Basically soil pH is a measure of the amount of lime (calcium) contained in your soil, and as a result, the type of soil that you have. Generally, soils in moist climates tend to be acid and those in dry climates are alkaline. A soil with a pH lower than 7.0 is an acid soil ...
Also, working clay soil when it’s too wet can damage soil structure. Ideally, wait several weeks before planting to allow time for the materials to break down. This is also a good time to apply organic fertilizers and adjust soil pH if needed. Add garden lime to make the soil more ...
Corn is generally a low-maintenance crop. It does take quite a bit of water, but doesn’t like to sit in soggy soil either, so pay attention to soil moisture, particularly around the time the tassels and silks begin to emerge. Corn that goes through drought stress around the time of po...
How to plant: Turn soil in the planting area to a depth of 8 inches and work in compost or other rich organic matter. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the root ball. If potbound, gently tease out roots or cut root ball in several places. Place the top of the root ball at ...
When the pH of soil becomes acidic, it can have detrimental effects on plant health. To increase the pH of soil, a component that contains calcium and/or magnesium is used. The most common practice is to add a material that contains lime, however other methods such as using baking soda ...