A beautiful garden doesn't start with going to the garden center
and purchasing plants and seeds. It starts with assessing your
soil and inspecting your chosen gardening landscape before any
planting ever begins.
In order to have a healthy,
productive garden you need to get down to the basics - your
soil. Time and effort must be spent in improving the quality of
your soil conditions first or you'll be wasting time, money and
a lot of energy trying to get anything to grow well.
What
Constitutes "Healthy Soil"?
There are five main
components that make up any patch of soil:
mineral
particles
organic materials
living organisms (worms, bugs,
etc.)
air (hot, humid, arid, etc.)
water (hard, soft,
etc.)
Depending on the region that you live in, these
components will vary in the proportions currently found in your
soil. You will need to adjust some of these components to the
proper proportions for your area zone and chosen garden plants
in order to have healthy soil.
The texture of your soil
also plays an important role in regards to your garden. Soil
types fall into three categories:
Sandy soil - Water
drains quickly through this type of soil, which means that your
plants may not have enough time to absorb as much water as they
really need. If your soil is sandy, it will be very light, sift
through your fingers, and be easy to cultivate.
Clay soil
- Many of us are familiar with this type of soil. It's heavy and
hard to work through. When you ball it up in your fist, it forms
a hard lump. Water tends to pool and takes a much longer time to
drain away. This can cause root rot to your plants.
Loam
- This is the best soil that you want to have in your garden.
Easy to work with, it also holds moisture without pooling water.
Checking Soil pH Levels
One other thing that many
gardeners also fail to check on is the pH level of the soil.
Depending on the types of species you intend to plant in your
garden, you need to be aware that some plants have preferences
for certain growing conditions. Certain plants require an
alkanline soil, while others require an acidic soil. The pH of
the soil needs to be compatable with the requirements of the
flower, bush or tree that you are planting, otherwise they won't
receive the proper nutrients to grow well.
About the Author:
Rose Smith owns
http://GardensFromJapan.com. To
discover additional tips about how to improve garden soil
conditions, as well as how to create your own Japanese Garden
space, visit:
http://www.gardensfromjapan.com/articles.shtml
