I'm fairly proud of the soil in the Arbor Garden...It was built on a hard pan...pure clay...our oldest son (back when he was in high school) and I hauled pickup load after pickup load of compost into it....shoveled it in...then shoveled it out....ugh, but worth it!
There are a few facts about soil you might want to think about when considering planting a vegetable or flower garden.
Vegetable plants require certain basic things in order to grow: soil that will retain air once the water has drained out; water, a continuous and uniform supply; fertilizer, a continuous and uniform supply; and a chance to grow, free of damaging insects and diseases.
Most home gardeners aren’t lucky enough to have soil which is deep, fertile, easy to work, and easy to manage. Instead, many vegetable gardeners have problem soils like medium to fine textured loams or clays…like ME….the clay in the Arbor Garden was like chunks of rock when I worked it up that first year.
If your soil is fine textured, don’t worry ~ your vegetables will do quite nicely if you water them frequently and deeply enough to maintain the required moisture. Just don’t over water, so that you don’t deplete the air space within the soil.
Air in the Garden Soil
How much air that is in your garden soil is very important when growing vegetables. Roots breathe, just as we do, taking in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide. If roots or are deprived of air, they will die of suffocation.
In fine textured garden soils, the space between soil particles (or pore space) is very small. When water is added to the soil, it pushes out air by filling up the small pore spaces. Then, when the plant wilts from lack of air, the innocent gardener feels sorry for it and waters it some more! This just adds to the problem….and I’ve been guilty of it many times in the past.
Roots need air (this is one of the most important facts about soil), and wherever they are lacking it you can expect trouble. There is a surprising variety of ways to deprive roots of air.
When soil crusts over after a hard rain, it partially cuts off the air supply to the roots. When the top layer of soil is compacted, the soil underneath suffers for lack of air. That is why a well worn path across a lawn will actually kill the grass.
Compacted soil not only reduces the supply of air to the roots, but it also reduces the amount of moisture available to the plant, since water runs off the surface soil instead of soaking in.
Soil Test Kits Will Determine the Level of pH
One of the other important facts/things about soil is finding out what level of pH is present.
Soils may be ideal for one kind of plant, but not for another. A soil in which rhododendrons and azaleas thrive will not support tomatoes, for example. To grow the best vegetables you can, it’s worthwhile having your soil tested. You can do this easily yourself with home test kits.
Probably the most important thing you will discover from a soil test kit is the pH level of your soil. This, quite simply, is a measurement of acidity and alkalinity. The values run from 0-14, with 7 representing neutrality. Numbers less than 7 indicate increasing acidity, and numbers greater than 7 indicate increasing alkalinity.
By adding composted organic matter, you bring your soil closer to ‘neutral’, no matter if your soil is acidic or alkaline. You also get this lovely black colored soil which is FULL of worms…very good little garden workers! I’ve never tested our soil pH here and just trust that the method of adding organic matter continually will keep the soil fairly neutral.
This rich black dirt is a far cry from the hard pan, gray clay that once was here. I sure do enjoy digging around in this stuff!!
Most vegetables require a pH level of about 6.0 to 7.5 for optimum development, with potatoes being one exception ~ they prefer a slightly acid soil. If you soil is too acid, it would be recommended to add lime; if your soil is too alkaline (as in my Montana garden), sulfur should be added.
Garden Soil Preparation ~ Improving Your Soil
Here are some important tips about soil improvement.
Amending less than perfect soil takes a little bit of effort, but it surely is worth it! You don’t need to re-do the entire garden area ~ you only need to add organic amendments to the areas in which you will plant.
When you mix organic matter with fine textured soil, the soil becomes more mellow and easier to work. Organic matter (compost, peat moss, manure, sawdust or ground bark) provides three benefits: it opens up fine textured soils; it improves drainage in the amended portion; and it allows air to move more readily through the soil, so it warms up earlier in the spring.
In lighter, more coarsely textured, sandy soils, organic matter performs the function of holding moisture and nutrients in the root zone. Sandy soil has a limitless capacity for organic matter ~ the more you add, the more you increase the soil’s moisture and nutrient holding ability.
How Much Organic Matter Should You Add?
First, here are some important facts about soil structure…
You should add enough organic matter to change the physical structure of the soil. This means that at least a third of the final mix should be organic matter. If you spread at least a 2-inch thick layer of organic matter over the soil and work it in to a depth of 6 inches, you will have the desired result.
So, here is my Arbor Garden in spring/early summer of 2009...It's hard to believe that this spot was once a hard pan where grass wouldn't even grow! Not even weeds wanted to live there....sadly, weeds now LOVE it here...but so do the plants that I REALLY want to grow!
There’s no point in adding just a little dab; small amounts won’t change the soil structure. A little peat moss or straw and compressed clay will make only an adobe brick! So use enough organic matter. If it’s peat moss you intend to use, be sure to moisten it first with warm water, then mix into the soil.
Apply some of the tips here and watch your garden flourish!!!
