Gardeners often disregard the impact soil has on the health and vigor of their plants. Soil preparation isn’t the most thrilling aspect of planting a garden, but it’s certainly one of the most important. If your soil isn’t right, your garden will struggle to reach its full potential.
At the base of it all is the soil. Good soil lays the groundwork for healthy plant growth. But, more often than not, the unaltered soil you find out in your yard hasn’t quite gotten to “good” yet. Most yard soil doesn’t have quite the right texture or enough organic matter like compost or manure to effectively grow plants.
Achieving that vitality requires understanding the chemistry and composition of your soil and creating the perfect environment for fertile plant growth. Good soil management is a continual process, but once you attend to the basics, your soil will do most of the work itself.
Know Your Soil Type
Before you begin planting, dig up a scoop of soil and take a look at its texture. Is it dense and heavy and clump together when wet? Or is it lose and free-flowing, like play sand? Maybe it’s somewhere in between, feeling somewhat sticky but crumbling easily, like a freshly baked cookie.
All soils are a mixture of mineral particles — primarily clay, sand, and silt. Often they will contain higher amounts of one type of particle relative to the others. That doesn’t make them bad growing mediums, but it will affect their density, drainage rate, and capacity to hold nutrients.
With each soil type, there are trade-offs. Here’s a quick overview:
- Clay soils have tiny, dense particles that hold large reserves of moisture and nutrients. However, clay soil also drains slowly and can become hard and compacted when dry.
- Sandy soils are just the opposite, with large particles that water moves through easily — along with important nutrients.
- Silts have fine particle sizes that pack together tightly, inhibiting drainage and air circulation.
- Loam is the ideal soil for most plants; it contains a balance of all three mineral particles and is rich in humus (what’s left after organic matter decomposes).
Test the pH of Your Soil
The pH of your soil is one of the most important factors in determining its fertility. If your soil is too alkaline (with a pH above 7.5) or to acidic (with a pH below 5.5), that can make a big difference in which nutrients are available to your plants.
Although most plants will tolerate a wide range of pH levels, they prefer slightly acidic soils (with a pH of 6 to 7) because important nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium dissolve readily in that environment. In soils that are too acidic or alkaline, your plants may get too much of some nutrients and not enough of others.
How do you test your soil pH? Here are two options:
- DIY Soil Test Kit: For the quickest results, you can buy an instant-read soil test kit or electronic tester.
- Professional Soil Analysis: But if you’re starting a new garden, it’s a good idea to have your soil tested professionally. The soil samples will be sent to a lab, which will analyze your soil pH and nutrient content as well as its capacity to retain nutrients.
How To Make Good Soil
- First up, test your soil with a kit from your local county extension office, if available, or your local garden center. Soil tests are a gardener’s trusted sidekick. They provide background on the makeup of your yard’s soil, the amount of organic material the soil currently has and the soil’s pH. Knowing these things helps you pinpoint the materials you need to make the soil the best environment for your plants.
- Based on soil test results, decide on the organic matter you’ll use as additives for the soil. You can also start a compost pile on your own. If the soil test showed that your soil’s pH is off-balance, consult with your local Extension office.
- Check your soil’s moisture level before getting started. Grab a handful of soil and ball your hand into a fist. If the soil crumbles through your fingers, it’s A-Okay. If it forms into a ball, it’s too drenched to work with and needs a few days to dry. Never try to work on wet soil—you’ll end up with a clogged up, compacted mess that’s no good for planting.
- Once the soil is ready, clear out any weeds or debris from the garden bed.
- Next up, it’s time to till. Start from one corner of the garden and work your electric tiller* to the other side, tilling about 10-12 inches deep. Add in the organic materials and till again to mix them in.
- Lastly, rake the garden bed to level it out, and water the soil thoroughly.