Darren Farming Farm food organic life

Your soil is the foundation for a healthy garden. Good garden soil is deep, loose, and fertile, an important overlooked fact.

It has taken my move to a new home and state to change my way of thinking about planting. I thought that landscaping involved purchasing shrubs, trees, and plants, finding an appropriate place in the yard, dig a hole, and plant. Walla! Done! Right! Wrong…

1. First and most importantly, learn more about the soil in your garden. Testing and treating the soil will ensure healthy and beautiful results. If the soil is not prepared correctly with the right essential nutrients your plants, will not grow and thrive. Using a home testing kit will tell if your soil has the three vital nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as the pH base.

2. Adjust the pH base after testing, decreasing if pH with peat moss or increase by adding lime. Alien the pH correspondingly to the requirements of the plants you are using.

3. Modify the soil for balance. Apply blood meal to the soil if lacking nitrogen, a bone meal if lacking phosphorus, and green sand or kelp meal if missing potassium.

4. A once a year treatment of organic material will add freshness to the soil. Refresh compose and grass clippings, leaves, or straw will add nutrients to the soil as they break down.

5. Loosen your soil after adding compose and before planting, and mix well. It will allow for proper exposure to air and kill the weeds and diseases in the soil. Remove rocks, sticks, and other undesirables.

Now you are ready to plant. Before you plant, after you have prepared your soil, you first should have a plan. A good plan will take the carelessness out of your accomplishments. You are choosing plants that are not a hit and miss. It would help if you first chose plants according to the weather conditions of your area. Also, select plants that require the same care treatment, sun exposure, heat or cold, and make sure your colors complement each other, mixing plants, flowers in an assortment of colors and not the same colors in one spot, with each color complimenting the others.

Gardening is fun and can be easy to create with a simple plan to begin your project. Make an effort to research your soil in your area, and your rewards will be your beautiful garden for all to see and Happy Gardening!