Consider Garden Soil pH in your Landscape Design

December 21, 2010 at 10:57 am (garden tools, Landscape Design)
Tags: , , , ,

Do you know your garden soil pH level? If not, you should get a soil test before planning your landscape design. Some plants just do not thrive in your garden despite your best efforts.

garden soil pH
Photo credit: tlr3automaton

As gardeners, we don’t need to know the scientific details of soil pH. Just understand that pH is measured on a scale of 1-14, with acidic soil (pH below 7.0) or alkaline soil (pH above 7.0), and neutral soil at 7.0.

We should have this information on hand as plants can absorb certain nutrients only when the pH is suitable. Adding more fertilizers is futile if the problem lies in the soil pH.

Most garden plants prefer a neutral pH between 6.2 to 7.0. Some plants are more sensitive to pH; for example, lilacs and clematis thrive in alkaline soils while rhododendrons and blueberries prefer lower pH.

Generally speaking, if your plants are growing healthily, your garden soil pH is ok. But if the plants cannot thrive, it is worth doing a soil test.

There are many types of soil pH testers available. The Luster Leaf 1818 Rapitest Mini 4-in-1 Soil Testergarden soil pH tester has been working well for me. Or bring a sample into your local Cooperative Extension office, to be tested for a nominal fee. Once you know your soil pH, you can adjust it slowly.

One method is to add lime to raise pH or sulfur to lower it in different parts of your landscape. The amount to add depends on your soil test result.

However, don’t think of lime or sulfur as a quick fix. It can take months to register a change in the soil pH and you will need to periodically test your soil to ensure the pH maintains at optimal level.

Sometimes, it is easier to plan your landscape design in such a way that the plants suit your soil pH.

Leave a Comment

When To Till Your Garden Soil?

December 15, 2010 at 11:28 am (Gardening Tips)
Tags: ,

tilling garden soil
Photo credit: Happy Days 09

Tilling your garden soil regularly will make it easier to work with and maintain appropriate aeration which is important for healthy plant growth.

However, regular tillage can harm the sustainability of garden soil. Research shows that intensive tillage and lack of crop rotation will cause significant decline of organic carbon content.

The intensity of a tillage system has serious negative impacts on soil degradation and water quality. The adoption of conservation tillage systems and the payoff of such systems take time.

There are no quick fixes for soil properties that have been destroyed by intensive tillage practices. For no-till or any other conservation tillage to work, you need to think long-term environmental benefits and give it time.

Source: IPM

I will say tilling garden soil is more of a personal choice. You can do it annually or maybe twice a year.

For most people, the best time for tilling dirt is in the spring. Before tilling your soil you must wait for two things. The soil must be dry and warm enough, else you could be causing more harm than good to your soil and plants.

To test for soil dryness, pick up a hand full and squeeze it in your hand. If the ball of garden soil falls apart when poked, it is dry enough. If the soil stays together in a ball, it is too wet for tilling.

To check for warmth, stick your hand or a finger a few inches down into the soil. If you are unable to keep your finger in the soil for a full minute, than it is not warm enough. You can also measure the soil temperature (optimally at least 60F for tilling and planting).

Preparing garden soil is a long-term, continual process. It can’t be done in one growing season. Spring may be the best time to begin soil improvement, but it’s also possible to begin now… just don’t overdo it.

1 Comment

How to Improve Your Garden Soil

December 14, 2010 at 7:07 am (Gardening Tips)
Tags: , , , ,

You love the flowers and shrubs in your garden but you know nothing about garden soil. In fact, you don’t want to touch the dirty stuff. Then gardening may not be your true calling.

improve garden soil

Soil is dirty but it is crucial to creating a beautiful garden. Improving your garden soil is half the battle won as it affects the way your plants or crops grow and look.

Some symptoms of poor soil structure include crusts, hard soil layers below the surface, standing water, and erosion. When soils are cold, wet or crusty, seedlings are slow to emerge and some may not survive. Or the plants may be short, have poor color, or shallow and malformed roots.

Ideal garden soil is loose, fertile, well-drained, contains organic matter, and is free of weeds and diseases. Such garden soils are difficult to find, but with proper preparation and management, poor quality soil can be productive too.

Drainage and Organic Matter in Garden Soil

If your garden soil is well drained, water moves quickly through it and does not shut off air movement. This is important as roots cannot live and develop without a constant supply of oxygen.

Clay soils dry slowly after a rain because spaces between the soil particles are small. Sandy soils have bigger spaces and dry out quickly.

Either soil can be improved to a rich loam by adding organic matter. Increasing organic matter of clayey soil improves the tilth in terms of drainage and workability. Adding organic matter to sandy soil increases its water-holding capacity and fertility.

Some organic matter which can be added are manure, leaves compost, sawdust, bark, peatmoss; or plant residues like corn stalks, soybeans, rye, etc. The plant residues should be free of diseases if they are to be added to the garden soil.

Alternatively you can plant cover crops, such as clovers and vetch, which prevent soil erosion and leaching of nutrients during the fall but provide organic matter and nitrogen when turned under in spring.

Even though adding organic matter improves soil fertility, manures and plant residues are not balanced fertilizers as they release some nutrients quickly and the rest over a period of time. If you are using manures, take note that the amount of fertilizing nutrients vary due to straw, age, exposure to elements, and degree of composting.

Overuse of manures can add too much salt to the soil such that plant growth is harmed. Hence, be careful not to over-fertilize (200 pounds per 1,000 sq feet of garden space is ok) when applying chicken litter to garden soil.

1 Comment

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.