So no matter where you decide to plant any garden, there are generally three important steps toward conditioning the soil in your garden:
a) Analyzing the Soil
b) Conditioning the Soil
c) Fertilizing the Soil
Before you even get started planning out your garden, it's best to test your soil and determine what you'll be working with. You may take a soil sample to a professional to have it analyzed, or you may perform a pH test on your own.
After you've determined the type of soil and the soil's composition, it's time to condition your soil. This is the point at which you will give your future garden the best chance of producing an abundance of vegetables, flowers or growth to meet your goals and expectations. How you determine to improve your soil will be up to you, and suggestions for doing so will follow further along in the text. Understand that you will be conditioning the soil not only to improve its nutrient values, but also to improve or increase drainage.
When adding fertilizers, you will need to consider the type of soil and its makeup before you decide what or how much of any type of fertilizer to add. In some cases, you may decide not to add any fertilizers, especially if you decide to grow potatoes or peas, which seem to be quite happy growing in just about any kind of soil.
There is a wide selection of choices when it comes to organic soil conditioning options, and they can be cheap or expensive, depending on where you live and what you need.
Farmyard manure is available just about anywhere. Keep in mind that it usually contains a small amount of nutrients, and should be rotted before use.
Leaf mold comes from the rotted matter left from fallen leaves. It is low in rich nutrients but has the ability to condition the soil and helps to encourage naturally occurring nutrient cycles in your soil. To use, merely gather up your leaves and stack them in a chicken wire cage or some other container that will allow ample circulation of air. If you don't have chicken wire, use typical plastic garden bags with air holes poked throughout the plastic. You won't need to add greens or any other matter to this pile. It will need to be kept moist throughout the year, and will rot slowly, though the result is well worth the wait.
Other types of soil conditions are made up of worm composts, and vegetable wastes.
Adding organic matter into your garden as a soil conditioner will help warm the soil and will allow for easier planting. There are two very good reasons why organic matter is so good for your garden.
1) Organic matter is rich in microbes that extract nutrients from the
minerals part of soils, which are then passed into the plant via the root system.
2) Organic matter improves saturation of water in the soil, which also enhances the soil condition. It acts like a sponge to help retain water in sandy soils and therefore protects plant roots against drought. Conversely, organic matter in soil helps to create air spaces in soils, allowing for more efficient drainage.
With some crops, you will need to add special fertilizers to encourage growth, or an increase of vital elements that your soil is missing. When it comes to managing soil, remember these key tips:
For light/sandy soils:
1) Maintain adequate levels of organic matter.
2) Fertilize
3) Water frequently
For clay soils:
1) Ensure adequate drainage.
2) Maintain levels of organic matter and fertilize as necessary.
3) Maintain lime levels for proper pH balance.
So no matter where you decide to plant any garden, there are generally three important steps toward conditioning the soil in your garden: Analyzing the Soil, Conditioning the Soil and Fertilizing the Soil. After you've determined the type of soil and it's composition, it's time to condition your soil. The soil is conditioned not only to improve its nutrient values, but also to improve or increase drainage.
