Another reason we test the soil is because we won’t need to rely on fertilizing the soil too much. If you start with healthy soil, you won’t need so much “fixing.” Before you start dumping on the lime and fertilizers, your first step should be taking a soil sample to send off ...
Test your soil for a better garden next year. Summer is a good time to evaluate your soil’s health so that any fall amendments can break down over the winter in time for spring planting. Here’s how. You don’t have to dig too deeply to discover the secret of great gardening; it ...
Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the three essential nutrients for vegetable gardens. Other essential nutrients like iron, copper and manganese may also be required in smaller amounts; it’s important that additional supplements such as these only be added if a soil test indicates this to av...
Ensure the planting area gets plenty of sunlight, as cantaloupes need warmth to grow. Soil Preparation Steps Testing and Adjusting pH: Test the soil pH and adjust if necessary. This might need to be done a few months before planting. Adding Organic Matter: Incorporate plenty of organic matter...
Have you ever wondered what the numbers on a bottle or pack of fertilizer mean? In fertilizers, NPK refers to the three most crucial macronutrients required by plants: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. When we add fertilizer, we’re replacing these nutrients in the soil. As they grow, you...
Kickstart its growth with a balanced pre-planting NPK fertilizer. Then, provide your plants with nitrogen-rich fertilizer applications around the 3-to-4-week mark and at the beginning of the head formation stage.Ideally, determine your application rates based on recent soil test reports. If ...
Next, smooth the surface of the soil in your planting area so that it’s even, then press three or four seeds flat into the surface of the soil. Now use the soil you scraped to the side to cover the seeds. Pat the soil gently to ensure good contact with the seeds. ...
How to Avoid Overwatering: Overwatering comes from watering too frequently or giving too much water at a time. Here’s how to water properly: Soil –Water plants when the soil feels dry up to your first knuckle (or if the pot feels light). Learn how to water plants in soil. Learn ho...
The exchangeable fraction of soil potassium (K) has been viewed as the most important source of plant-available K, with other sources playing smaller roles that do not influence the predictive value of a soil test. Thus, as K mass balance changes, the so
Sulfur-containing compounds are commonly used in agriculture to lower soil pH and thus make them more acidic. It’s important to note and understand that a pH test measures the number of free hydrogen ions in a solution. The difference between each pH delineation is significant, even if we’...