The Importance of Good Soil
One of the most important things for a gardener to remember is plants grow in soil.
For good healthy plants with great tasting vegetables and vibrant blooms you need a healthy soil with vibrant life.
It is not hard to get nor to maintain.
Soil is a combination of sand, clay and organic matter.
While there are rocks and other debris in the soil, most gardeners try to remove them so as to have a better growing medium.
So one of the first things to do in the garden plot is to remove the rocks and other junk.
It is important not to get too carried away.
Anything the size of your fist or bigger should be removed but most things smaller will not bother the plants.
If there is a huge boulder in the middle of the plot it would be a good time to either plant around it or move the plot.
The sand allows water to drain.
While it is important to have good drainage around the plant roots so that rot does mot set in, the roots need water to dissolve nutrients and allow them to be absorbed.
If the water drains too well and too quickly it will wash away the nutrients and the plants will starve.
Clay, on the other hand, compacts around the plant roots and prevents the water from draining.
The forming pools can cause rot situations that kill the plants.
In addition, once clay soil gets wet and then dries it forms an impermeable layer that prevents water and air from getting to the plant roots and again starvation occurs.
Clay mixed with water and allowed to dry is called adobe brick in many countries and used for building material.
Organic matter in the soil degrades to humus and is the nutrient base for the plants.
It needs water to dissolve and then is absorbed by the roots.
Soil with too little humus is often fed with chemical fertilizers to increase the nutrient value.
The ideal soil is going to be a perfect blend of clay, sand, and organic matter.
It seldom exists naturally and will need to be created in the home garden.
However, adding either clay or sand is costly and difficult to do in sufficient quantity.
Strangely enough, adding organic matter in the form of compost will solve almost all the garden soil problems.
Compost will act to hold the sand particles together and prevent too much water loss.
At the same time it acts as a water holding system almost like a sponge to keep the water next to the plant roots where it is needed.
Air is also allowed to pass through and keep things healthy.
Compost in clay helps to break up the soil and allow water to move while again keeping it near the roots where it can be well used.
The compost is itself an excellent source of nutrients for the plants to use.
In addition it deeds the beneficial flora and fauna of the soil that aid in maintaining plant health.
So one of the best things to do to create and maintain healthy soil is to have an active compost system and regularly add compost to the soil.
A good rule of thumb is to add three inches per square foot of garden plot the first year and one inch every year thereafter.
For good healthy plants with great tasting vegetables and vibrant blooms you need a healthy soil with vibrant life.
It is not hard to get nor to maintain.
Soil is a combination of sand, clay and organic matter.
While there are rocks and other debris in the soil, most gardeners try to remove them so as to have a better growing medium.
So one of the first things to do in the garden plot is to remove the rocks and other junk.
It is important not to get too carried away.
Anything the size of your fist or bigger should be removed but most things smaller will not bother the plants.
If there is a huge boulder in the middle of the plot it would be a good time to either plant around it or move the plot.
The sand allows water to drain.
While it is important to have good drainage around the plant roots so that rot does mot set in, the roots need water to dissolve nutrients and allow them to be absorbed.
If the water drains too well and too quickly it will wash away the nutrients and the plants will starve.
Clay, on the other hand, compacts around the plant roots and prevents the water from draining.
The forming pools can cause rot situations that kill the plants.
In addition, once clay soil gets wet and then dries it forms an impermeable layer that prevents water and air from getting to the plant roots and again starvation occurs.
Clay mixed with water and allowed to dry is called adobe brick in many countries and used for building material.
Organic matter in the soil degrades to humus and is the nutrient base for the plants.
It needs water to dissolve and then is absorbed by the roots.
Soil with too little humus is often fed with chemical fertilizers to increase the nutrient value.
The ideal soil is going to be a perfect blend of clay, sand, and organic matter.
It seldom exists naturally and will need to be created in the home garden.
However, adding either clay or sand is costly and difficult to do in sufficient quantity.
Strangely enough, adding organic matter in the form of compost will solve almost all the garden soil problems.
Compost will act to hold the sand particles together and prevent too much water loss.
At the same time it acts as a water holding system almost like a sponge to keep the water next to the plant roots where it is needed.
Air is also allowed to pass through and keep things healthy.
Compost in clay helps to break up the soil and allow water to move while again keeping it near the roots where it can be well used.
The compost is itself an excellent source of nutrients for the plants to use.
In addition it deeds the beneficial flora and fauna of the soil that aid in maintaining plant health.
So one of the best things to do to create and maintain healthy soil is to have an active compost system and regularly add compost to the soil.
A good rule of thumb is to add three inches per square foot of garden plot the first year and one inch every year thereafter.
