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Apr 1, 2021 · Here are 10 of my top tips to improve soil: 1. Feed it an Organic Diet. Above: Florist Clare Day raises her own organic flowers on her 12-acre farm in British Columbia. See more at Organic Flowers at Red Damsel Farm. Spring brings a flurry of underground activity that we can’t see.
- Garden Organically. First, do no harm. This phrase may more commonly be used in the field of bioethics. But it is equally applicable in your garden. Before you even begin to consider how you can improve the soil in your garden, you need to make sure you are not damaging the soil you have.
- Implement a ‘No Dig’/ ‘No Till’ Gardening Approach. Every time we dig or till the soil, we damage the complex ecosystem below. Traditional gardening and farming involves disturbing the soil on a rather frequent basis.
- Avoid Leaving Areas of Bare Soil. When soil is left bare, it is more likely to become degraded over time. Bare soil should therefore be avoided whenever possible when you are trying to improve the soil in your garden.
- Keep Beds Traffic Free to Reduce Compaction. In larger growing systems, minimising the amount of heavy machinery or equipment that passes over the soil will help make sure it remains aerated.
Jun 26, 2024 · Improving your garden soil doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. With a few clever techniques, you can transform even the poorest soils into rich, fertile ground ready to support healthy plant growth.
- Jennifer Poindexter
- Compost is Your Friend. Compost is made up of organic matter. You can use kitchen scraps and various other household items to create compost. Once these items have broken down, they are a great addition to your garden.
- Mulch and Your Plants Go Hand in Hand. Mulch is another magnificent addition to your garden soil. It should be added around the base of your plants during planting.
- Cover Crops Helps. When winter time comes, we tear up our gardens. The ground is left bare and exposed which often means that the soil has nutrients stripped from it because there is no protection.
- Creepy Crawlies Help Your Soil. You can purchase worms or raise them yourself. You also can choose to add them directly to your garden or add them to your compost.
- Add Compost. Compost is decomposed organic matter, and it is the best thing you use to improve the health of garden soil. Working compost into soil will feed the soil, improve soil structure, enable soil to retain nutrients, promote good drainage while also absorbing water deep in the soil, keeps soil loose so air can reach plant roots, helps maintain a neutral pH, and protects plants from many common garden diseases.
- Get a Soil Test. Adding compost is not a once-and-done type deal. It is part of a continuous process to renew nutrients in the soil. Conduct a soil test every few years to determine what additional nutrients are needed to promote plant growth and production.
- Mulch the Soil Surface. Mulch is a must for healthy garden soil and strong plants. It stimulates natural growing conditions, retains soil moisture, keeps soil cool, and prevents weed growth.
- Prevent Soil Compaction. Soil that is hard and compacted will not allow water and nutrients to soak in and the soil becomes barren and dry. Tiny plant roots cannot spread out in search of moisture and nutrients, so plants dehydrate and starve.
Jun 20, 2023 · Learn how to improve your garden soil and give plants the best start with these expert-approved methods, including adding compost, manure and horticultural grit
Apr 26, 2024 · If you have insanely compacted ground, the absolute fastest way to improve hard soil is to grow on top of it. Instead of laboring away with garden forks and shovels, install a wood or metal raised garden bed on top of the poor soil and fill it with a quality loamy topsoil blend.
