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The garden must first be prepared in the soul or else it will not flourish.
–English proverb
When it's nearly time to plant, you'll want to prepare your garden soil. Soil is more than dirt! Soil needs to be nutrient-rich, to enable your plants to absorb moisture and anchor roots. If your soil needs help, here are some tips on soil fixes and soil amendments:
Soil Fixes
- If you have clay soil, add coarse sand (not beach sand), compost, and peat moss.
- If you have sandy soil, add humus or aged manure, peat moss, or sawdust with some extra nitrogen. Heavy, clay-rich soil can also be added to improve the soil.
- If you have silt soil, add coarse sand (not beach sand) or gravel and compost, or well-rotted horse manure mixed with fresh straw.
Soil Amendments and Benefits
- Bark, ground: made from various tree barks. Improves soil structure.
- Compost: excellent conditioner.
- Leaf mold: decomposed leaves that add nutrients and structure to soil.
- Lime: raises the pH of acid soil and helps loosen clay soil.
- Manure: best if composted. Good conditioner.
- Peat moss: conditioner that helps soil retain water.
- Sand: improves drainage in clay soil.
- Topsoil: usually used with another amendment. Replaces existing soil.
Don't Forget Fertilizers
The next step is to add fertilizer. Nitrogen (N) is needed for leaf growth and is responsible for making plants greener. Phosphorus (P) is associated with root growth and fruit production. Potassium (K), also known as potash, helps the plant fight off diseases and keeps it vigorous.
Fertilizers are labeled to show the percentages by weight of the fertilizer. A 100-pound bag of 10-5-10 contains 10 pounds of nitrogen, 5 pounds of phosphorus, and 10 pounds of potassium. The rest is filler, which gives it bulk and makes it easier to spread.
When is a good time to fertilize your vegetables? See our Growing Vegetables Guide.
