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When preparing your soil you are attempting
to get the perfect combination of silt, sand,
and clay. The best mixture will consist of 40
percent each of silt and sand and only 20
percent clay. You can figure out your soils
composition by using one of several tests
available to gardeners. One easy test is to
compress a bit of soil within your hand. Soil
that crumbles without any pressure being placed
on it most likely has too high a sand content.
Soil that will not fall apart even when poked
with your finger most likely contains too much
clay.
If that test is not enough to tell you the
content of your soil you can use the following
method to separate each of the different
components. Place a cup or so of your soil into
a jar of water. Shake the bottle thoroughly
until the soil is dispersed throughout the
water. As the soil settles you will see three
separate layers form. The bottom layer will be
comprised of sand, the middle layer silt, and
the top layer clay. You will get a good idea of
the composition of your soil and any steps that
may need to be taken to correct it.
Soil that appears to be out of balance when it
is tested should be corrected prior to planting
your new garden. It is a good idea to add peat
moss if you have soil with excess sand or silt.
A mixture of peat moss and sand will most likely
do the trick if you are low on clay. Any
ingredients that are added to the soil will be
better absorbed once the peat moss has been
moistened. Those struggling to find the proper
mixture on their own should be able to get all
the help they need at their local gardening
center.
Another important thing to check when preparing
for a new garden is the water content. Your
plants could end up drowning if your garden is
at the bottom of a slope where lots of water
tends to flow. It is a good idea to elevate your
garden at least four to five inches above the
surrounding ground to aid with water drainage
and avoid excessive saturation.
Almost all urban soils are almost completely
void of nutrients so you will want to add these
as well. A decent amount of fertilizer should be
added to your garden approximately one to two
weeks prior to planting. The fertilizer should
be given time to sit after it has been mixed
into the soil thoroughly. After completing these
steps your soil will be ready for new plants.
You can not forget about your soil entirely
after planting your seeds. In order to sprout
into a plant your seeds are taking all the
nutrients that you have carefully placed in the
soil out of it. You will need to add more
fertilizer about a week after planting your
seeds. You will want to continue adding
fertilizer to your soil; however you will not
need to repeat the process as often. You can get
by just adding a little bit every couple of
weeks or so.
There are four main steps to proper soil
preparation and care: check and repair the soil
composition, check for and ensure proper
drainage, fertilize heavily prior to and just
after planting, and lightly fertilize on a
regular basis. You should have healthy and
beautiful plants in no time if you follow these
simple steps. You should be able to get plenty
of advice at your local nursery if you run into
any problems along the way.
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