Perennial Garden Soil
- There are three basic nutrients that perennials, and all plants, get from soil: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Nitrogen encourages green, leafy growth and increases seed production. Phosphorous promotes growth in blooms and root systems. Potassium helps to build protein, has a part in the photosynthesis process and fights disease, producing strong, healthy plants. There are also secondary nutrients and micronutrients that perennials need to grow. Amend the soil in your perennial garden bed to replenish nutrients that have been diminished. Regular applications of liquid organic fertilizers are also helpful in providing nutrients that your perennials may be lacking.
- Most perennial flowers like a soil acidity that falls in middle of the pH scale, about 7.0. You can test soil pH with a home testing kit or send a soil sample to your local, county or state agricultural agency. If your county extension service does the testing, they will usually send your results, with recommendations for soil amendments and fertilizers.
- Sandy soils do not retain moisture well and leach out nutrients that perennials need. Clay soils give perennials soggy feet, because they retain excessive moisture. Wet clay soil can cause damping off and rot, and it dries into a hard-baked crust. The ideal soil for perennials is a garden loam with about equal parts sand, clay and humus, which provides nutrients for beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
- Add humus, or raw plant matter, directly to the soil in the fall and allow it to decompose naturally over the winter. In the spring, turn compost into the soil to provide a nutrient-rich perennial garden bed. Organic matter or compost turned into the soil also increases the oxygen content and increases microbial activity. Add compost as a top dressing, or provide regular applications of liquid organic fertilizers, such as compost tea, fish emulsion tea or kelp meal tea, to replenish soil nutrients.
