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Mar 8, 2024 · Waterlogged soil can quickly kill plants if it gets compacted or has a lot of clay. Learn how to fix the situation with soil amendments and proper drainage.
- Mary Ellen Ellis
- Why Taking Care of Your Garden Soil Is So Important
- How to Take Care of The Soil
- Garden Organically
- Implement A ‘No Dig’/ ‘No Till’ Gardening Approach
- Avoid Leaving Areas of Bare Soil
- Keep Beds Traffic Free to Reduce Compaction
- Grow Nitrogen Fixers
- Rotate Annual Crops
- Use Green Manures and Cover Crops
- Add Plenty of Perennials
The topsoil in which we grow our food is a valuable resource. It contains water, nutrients and minerals which allow plants to grow. This may sound obvious, but many people fail to properly consider that the soil is an ecosystem like any other, and like many other ecosystems on earth, this is an ecosystem that is often now under threat. Bacteria, fu...
Taking care of the precious soil in our gardens, and carbon gardening, is good for us, for wider society, and for our planet. It is about far more than just ensuring that we continue to get good yieldsover the years to come. Taking care of and improving the soil in our gardens is about: 1. Making sure soil is not contaminated or structurally damage...
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. Gardening organically is crucial. When we use harmful fertilizers, pesticides an...
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. But in a no dig garden, we take steps to reduce disturbance of the soil as much as possible. Rather than incorporating matter into the soil ourselves – we lay material on top of the so...
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. Some of the ways in which we can avoid leaving areas of bare soil are listed further down in this article. Bare soil can be: 1. Eroded by rain and wind. 2. Leached of...
In larger growing systems, minimising the amount of heavy machinery or equipment that passes over the soil will help make sure it remains aerated. In smaller gardens, it is also important to reduce foot traffic. We should try to avoid stepping on and compacting our growing areas whenever possible. Soil has to contain oxygen and remain aerated for t...
One of the first stages in restoring degraded soil or improving soil that is particularly lacking in essential plant nutrients is introducing nitrogen fixing pioneer species. Here’s our article sharing 40 of the best nitrogen fixing trees, shrubs and plants to grow in your garden. Nitrogen fixing plants co-operate with beneficial nitrogen fixing ba...
Creating an effective crop rotation scheme for annual crops is one way to keep soil healthy and productive over time. If we grow the same crops in the same beds year after year, we risk depleting that soil of essential plant nutrients. By rotating certain plant families, we can ensure that fertility is maintained, and improved over time. As mention...
Another important part of maintaining the health and fertility of the soil in annual growing areas over time is using green manures and cover crops. The soil in your growing areas can be improved by growing a range of these. They will not only keep soil covered and protected, but can also, when chopped and dropped, add fertility and improve the str...
While growing your own will often involve growing a lot of annual plants, when trying to improve the soil in your garden you should consider adding plenty of perennials too. Perennial plants are great for soil health. They remain in place throughout the seasons and will return year after year. They help to stabilize soil with their roots and keep i...
- 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.
- Use homemade compost. Well-rotted homemade compost is one of the best soil conditioners, adding nutrients and beneficial microbes, opening up heavy clay and improving the retention of moisture and nutrients in thin, sandy soil.
- Spread farmyard manure. Farmyard manure is another excellent way to improve garden soil, plus it's one of the best fertilizers for a vegetable garden and a good way to add phosphorus to the soil.
- Add horticultural grit. Heavy clay soils come with all sorts of problems. Although they are richer in nutrients than thinner soils, and retain water well making them a brilliant medium for growing trees, they can get waterlogged and freeze solid, becoming unworkable when conditions are very wet or cold.
- Re-use old container compost. At the end of the growing season, think twice about throwing away the old potting soil from grow bags and patio planters.
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.
For garden soil, trees and larger plants can act as a windbreak that slows the natural wind flow, preventing soil erosion and quick water evaporation. Planting larger vegetables such as eggplants, corn, and ochre upwind can drastically reduce the wind flow over garden soil.
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Aug 6, 2019 · Find out how to get the best from wet soil in your garden, including tips on plants to grow, with advice from the experts at BBC Gardeners' World Magazine.
