Improve Your Garden Soil and Grow Beautiful, Healthy Plants

As I turn my soil each year, I'm always pleased when I see the wriggly worms crawl out from each clump of clay. I'm reminded that each one serves a purpose in improving my soil structure. They help till in a sort of slow way, aid in humus formation by depositing their casts (fecal matter) and their tunneling helps with drainage. (image above is My Middle Garden in early spring)

Of course we can't be totally dependent on the earth worm for a rich nutritious dirt. We humans also have to give back to the earth so that our plants are provided with healthy nutrients.

Understanding pH levels in your garden:

Did you know that the acronym pH comes from the French words pouvoir hydrogene, meaning hydrogen power?

Like our own bodies, plants need a certain pH level in the earth for health. This make perfect sense. The only sure fire way to get to know your pH level is a soil test. You can purchase kits from your local garden centres. If you are going this route, clear out any mulch or other added organic matter (as best you can) from the soil before submitting a sample or before you test the soil yourself using a purchase soil testing kit.

The term pH measures how your soil fits on the acidic value based on a number from 0 to 14. The number 7 is neutral, 0 is most acidic and 14...you guessed it, most alkaline. While some plants/shrubs prefer a more acidic soil like the Mugo Pine or the perennial Lavender Munstead, most prefer a middle of the scale between a 6.5 to 7 pH value.

Soil too Acidic? Lower by adding sulfur.

Soil too alkaline? Raise by adding ground dolomitic limestone

Add Nutrients To The Soil

Does your soil sink from year to year? By adding 2 to 3 inches of my 5 way mix each year, I raise the level to the previous year. I also use the mixture to raise areas of my garden. This gives the flowerbeds a layered look as I plant my annuals and perennials.

A Good 5-Way Garden Soil Mix...

Most of my plants enjoy their soil a little acidic. (pH of 7.5) By adding a 5 way garden mix (and natural additives) to my gardens every year or two, I seem to get the right balance. Because I like to mix up my plants, I tend to give the acid loving plants (like my lavender and mugo pines) a little extra boost but I never relegate them to one side of the flowerbed garden.

A sample list of ingredients for a great 5 way garden soil mix...

• top soil
• sand
• straw/shredded or decomposed leaves, compost
• shredded wood chips
• well rotted manure (not fresh, it burns the plants)

Besides the above and when I do my planting, I also add bonemeal, bloodmeal and liquid seaweed to my soil. This adds the Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium naturally. Please see my page on Natural or Synthetic Fertilizers for the garden soil.

Also....think of adding some kelp...Kelp Meal

Why not try a Soil Activator? Alive!^TM Soil Activator

Have you heard of MYKE growth supplement?

Read this page for great information on how adding this growth supplement to your soil can increase your flower blooms and grow the healthiest trees and shrubs with a warranty. MYKE Page

Have you heard of Organic Turkey Trot?

Rated by some as one of the best organic fertilizers, Turkey Trot consists of composted deodorized granular turkey manure. Even though it says deodorized, the stuff still stinks so be prepared. You don't need a lot of it to do the job. By sprinkling lightly over your lawn, vegetable beds and mix into flowerbed soil, you will notice a difference. I did. Use sparingly-approximately 2 pounds per 100 sq. ft.

It can be a difficult to find however, look or ask for it at your favorite garden centre. If you cannot find it locally, T and T Seeds Ltd. in Winnipeg, Manitoba has a mail order division.

Remember...

Insect and pests decrease in a flowerbed garden as the soil quality increases (healthier plants). The little pests move on to more diseased/weaker plants.

My Soil-Less Mix For Container Planting

As with all of my container planting (especially the smaller containers), I make my own soil-less garden mix. This is really quite easy. Here's my recipe:

In a 5 gallon pail, I add:

1. take one package of Coco Earth which is a organic growing medium made from coconut coir, a biodegradable renewable resource
2. add 2-3 litres of warm water and soak to expand the coir
3. once expanded, add 1/2 litre bone meal (phosphorous)
4. 1 litre perlite
5. 1 litre vermiculite
6. 1 litre compost (my own)

This mixture makes about 12 litres of soil-less mix.

Peat Moss can also be used instead of the Coco Earth and the compost and bone meal is optional. Coco Earth can be found at many fine garden centres or go to Grotek for further information.

Compost Pile...

The pile must have been 15 feet high and 50 feet long. The picture on the right shows the depleted compost pile as of last fall (2008). Can you see the rich black humus?

As we dug deep into the pile, there emerged a dark black gardeners 'gold.' Within the black 'gold' remains of shredded bark and leaves broke off and disintegrated into a rich humus. We shoveled and dumped at least 60 full to the brim wheelbarrows into the 3 original flowerbeds.

Check out this Compost Tea...

Gardeners Gold^TM Compost Tea Kit

For great composting information have a look at this site: Compost Guide.

Great Composting Tip...

Here's a great tip that I picked up from a fellow gardener. She throws in her tea bags, coffee grinds and 'pickle juice' into her compost (yes, I said pickle juice) to retain the acidic value. Interesting eh? Those three items along with all the 'other' goodies turns her compost into pure garden soil gold.

Soil Types

Got Clay Garden Soil?

I own clay soil. Lucky me. The kind where the water just sits. Very little drainage. Every year I add at least 2 inches of the 5 way soil mix to each flowerbed.

My shade flowerbed garden receives additional sand and kitty litter (non-clumping). Without proper drainage, annuals and perennials can mold and suffer root rot very quickly.

Got Sandy Garden Soil?

If your soil is too sandy, meaning that the water drains out too quickly:

Add organic matter such as:

• peat
• straw
• shredded wood chips
• shredded leaves
• compost

This helps the soil retain moisture and the nutrients.

Here's a great tip to discover the contents of your garden soil

Take a tall glass of water and add a handful of your garden soil (when dry). Let it sit for several hours or over night. The soil particles will settle into layers.

Coarse sand, heavy clay will settle to the bottom. On the top will be fine clay particles along with a small amount of organic matter. In the middle will be a layer of silt.

Another popular method of discovering your soil contents is (when dry) grabbing a handful and squeezing. The soil should easily fall between your fingers and not clump into a ball.

Other Soil Additives

Since we chopped down a bunch of trees this year, I have sawdust piles all over. Sawdust also works well as a an added amendment, albeit no nutritional value.

So, if you have it, use it as it does work great as a clay buster along with kitty litter, but don't get the clumping cat litter. Use the regular (if that's still around) and please...no used litter. Anyone need fire wood?

My Conclusion

Finally...do you see a pattern in the above information? Whether your soil base is sandy or clay, just 'tweak it' with the above organic amendments to create the perfect balance.

Just remember, once you start giving your garden the necessary food to survive...don't stop! Your garden requires proper nutrition every year, all year long.

If you use a chemical fertilizer just know that while you are feeding the plants, you are not putting any nutritional value back into the ground. And as the years pass, your soils nutritional value depletes.

One final note:

When speaking with my friends I always remind them 'not to do as I do' when it comes to walking into my flowerbeds.

After you've turned your garden soil and added that wonderful 5-way mix, be careful not to walk on it too much. (strategically placing stepping stones or flat limestone also works great)

This action compacts the garden soil back down again. Makes sense, doesn't it? I stopped walking into my flowerbeds (image above is My South Garden this spring) and checking up on my shrubs. Now I leave the shrubs alone, at least at the beginning of the season. I yell at them from a distance...

Check out my Site Index Page for a listing of annuals and perennials to plant in your flower garden design.

Related pages:

My Sun Loving Annuals and Perennials Page
My Shade Loving Annuals and Perennials Page
My Plant Selection Page
My MYKE Page
My Flowerbed Gardens Page

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