How To Fix Bad Dirt

Plants draw the nutrients they need to grow from the soil. Those nutrients usually need to be replenished every so often for the healthiest growth, no matter which type of soil you have. This is especially true for the soil where you grow annual flowers and vegetables, which suck up a lot of nutrients to fuel their rapid growth. Luckily, it's easy and inexpensive to restore nutrition by adding high-quality compost and/or granular or liquid fertilizer products as needed. If you're not sure if you need to add nutrients, a soil test is a quick way to check.

To add nutrients and to replace organic matter as it breaks down, add 1-2 inches of compost to your garden beds in the fall. Then you'll be all set for spring and can just add a layer of mulch after cleaning up and planting your beds for the new growing season. Along with adding compost, a second strategy for adding organic matter to my clay soil is cover cropping. I plant cover crops any time the beds in my garden would otherwise be unplanted or fallow. Fallow periods provide little additional organic biomass while allowing the decomposition of organic matter in the soil to continue. They contribute to the improvements in soil structure that I described earlier.

And they can smother weeds and even suppress weed seed germination. Many cover crops will also suppress pathogenic nematodes, for example root knot nematode. Organic matter such as manure helps sandy soil to retain moisture and nutrientsOrganic matter is a kind of cure-all in the garden. Any organic matter will work to build soil structure and its ability to hold onto water. Compost and manure are preferred because they are rich in nutrients, which they drip-feed to your plants.

Over time, they'll also help to increase the pH of acidic sandy soils. No matter where you garden, it's worth improving the quality of the topsoil you've got. After all, plants rely on topsoil, the uppermost layer of the earth's surface, for water and necessary nutrients. The more organic matter it has, the darker the soil will look (like what you may see sold in bags or bulk as "black dirt").

This type of soil is very easy to dig in and support healthy plant growth. However, the type of soil in your yard may look very different. Depending on your region, it can vary from reddish clay to beige sandy soil. Here's what you need to know about improving your topsoil. Soil amendments are most commonly used in vegetable gardens and landscape beds. It is important to evaluate various types of soil amendments and determine which ones will provide the most benefit.

This often leads to a combination of different amendments to supply organic matter, nutrients, and improve the soil texture. There are many combinations but a good general-purpose ratio is one part composted manure, to three parts garden compost to one part soil conditioner. This amendment mixture can then be tilled in prior to planting. The addition of organic matter is beneficial but too much can be detrimental to plant health. Start with adding 25% by volume or 2 inches of organic matter into the top 6 inches of the soil. I always see things on how to work with sandy, silty, or clay soils, practically nothing on peat soils.

I moved to an area this last Fall, that had a lot of glacier activity and is a meadow or grass land now. We would like to grow a garden, but we have black peat soil for about 14 feet down. I used a home soil test and found no nitrogen in the soil. There is some phosphorus and a small amount of potassium. What should we do to our soil to be able to grow a vegetable garden and fruit trees? You can improve clay soil, but don't work it when it's wet, and avoid walking on it so it doesn't become compacted.

When it's dry, add three to four inches of organic materials, such as compost, leaf mold or well-rotted manure , and work them into the soil about six inches deep. Mulch the soil with bark, wood chips or some other type of mulch that decomposes slowly. Over time, the sun and rain break down the mulch, which will also improve your soil. However, major losses in soil organic matter content can take place when the soil is inverted or mixed annually by tillage.

Extensive tillage stimulates microbial activity , and the consumption of mass quantities of organic matter ensues. After your clay soil becomes more friable and you have provided a deep root zone for your garden plants, you should consider reducing tillage. Because the soil remains undisturbed, fertilizers and other soil amendments do not become homogenized in the tillage layer. Plant feeder roots, therefore, tend to proliferate in the top 2 inches of fertile topsoil. Fertilize vegetable gardens by banding (place fertilizer alongside the crop row, 2" away and 2" deep in the soil) and/or by incorporating fertilizer into the soil in spring.

Side-dressing supplemental nitrogen fertilizer next to growing plants later in the season may be necessary. Manage the pH of garden soil to ensure good nutrient availability. Rotate vegetable crops with cover crops to maintain good levels of organic matter, which helps the soil retain nutrients for plant use.

Clay soils benefit from organic matter too, because it improves their structure by binding clay particles into crumbs; this allows better air and water movement. By adding coarse sand to heavy soils you can make a permanent improvement in their texture. Spread the sand to a depth of 5–8 cm, then mix well into the topsoil to a depth of 15–20 cm. During the initial, pre-garden phase of my soil improvement plan, I managed to break up 10 inches of hard-packed clay with endless swings of my trusty mattock. I spread compost over the surface of the beds an inch at a time and rototilled it in.

I tried to work the compost deep into the soil, and along with it, I added lime and phosphorus, the clay soil in my garden needing both. When surface-applied, neither of these materials moves down through the soil, so incorporation to ample depth is very important to permit roots to grow into the subsoil. After 3 to 4 inches of compost, I had the "raised bed" I wanted. Organic soil is rich in humus, the end result of decaying materials such as leaves, grass clippings and compost. Good organic garden soil is loose and fluffy — filled with air that plant roots need — and it has plenty of minerals essential for vigorous plant growth. It is alive with living organisms — from earthworms to fungi and bacteria — that help maintain the quality of the soil.

Proper pH is also an essential characteristic of healthy soil. This heavy, often dark, smooth soil is made up of very fine particles between which there are small air spaces. It is difficult to cultivate, being sticky when wet, yet hard and even cracking, when dry. In situations where drainage is poor, plants can rot because of waterlogging and a lack of air around the roots. Clay is also a cold soil taking time to warm up in spring, which can slow a plant's root growth. On the upside, clay is not only richer in nutrients than sand, but also retains nutrients and holds water well.

Mulching – Clay soils can tend to speed water runoff because water isn't absorbed as quickly into clay soils as it is other soils. Clay soils also tends to stick to the bottoms of your shoes, which can make a mess when you go indoors. By adding a layer of mulch to clay soil, you not only help keep the house clean, but can reduce the number of weeds that sprout. As mulch decomposes,it will enhance nutrition and water retention, which ultimately allows for better plant growth. Mulch will slow down water run-off allowing clay soil more time to absorb, and store, water.

A layer of mulch is also cooler than exposed soil which helps to reduce temperatures overall in the garden. Weeds love bare patches, so if you don't act quickly, they will. Spring's cool, wet weather is conducive to growing many types of turfgrass. Start by digging up the damaged section, plus 6 inches of surrounding, healthy lawn, cutting about 2 inches deep.

Then level the soil and add a small amount of soil amendment, such as a plant-based compost, and starter fertilizer. If you're using seed, cover it lightly with straw and keep the ground moist until germination. For sod, which is about 10 times more expensive than seed but tends to work better, cut a section to fit, press it into place, and water frequently until it takes root.

Adding organic matter is the best way to make your soil more loam-like and improve its structure. Another option is to build a raised garden bed and fill it with a well-balanced soil mix. Or take the simple approach by growing plants that do well in your soil type, such as choosing drought-tolerant plants for sandy soils. You can grow a garden successfully in any soil, as long as the plant's roots are accustomed to the conditions. Clay soil is often not aerated enough and is deficient in good structure which makes it more difficult for successful growing.

To get the most out of clay soil it's best to add large quantities of well-rotted organic matter in the fall and peat a few weeks before planting. Greensand can also be used to loosen heavy clay soils or bind sandy soils. The best way to improve soil texture is by adding organic material, such as compost or peat moss. Decaying organic matter helps sandy soil by retaining water that would otherwise drain away.

And it corrects clay soil by making it looser, so air, water, and roots all can penetrate. Plus, in all soils it encourages beneficial microbial activity and provides nutritional benefits. Good soil provides just the right space between its particles to hold air that plants will use.

Silty and heavy clay soils have small particles that are close together. Sandy soils have the opposite problem; their particles are too big and spaced out. The excessive amount of air in sandy soil leads to rapid decomposition of organic matter.

In addition to helping loosen heavily compacted soils and improve overall soil health, adding organic matter is a good way to improve both clay and sandy soils. Aside from improving soil texture, adding organic matter can have other benefits as well. One of which is the addition of beneficial soil microbes, such as fungi and bacteria. These microbes help with plant nutrient uptake by making nutrients more available for root uptake.

After a crop is harvested the soil needs to be renewed before planting a successive crop. These cover crops are tilled in before they go to seed, and break down quickly so a new harvestable crop can be planted without much delay. Leguminous cover crops can fix significant amounts of nitrogen for use by subsequent crops. Through symbiotic associations with legumes, Rhizobia bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into an organic form that legumes use for growth. How much fixation depends on the length of the growing season, the local climate, and soil conditions. I often plant mixtures of grasses and legumes in the fall to reap the benefits of both.

How To Improve Bad Soil This past fall I planted hairy vetch and cereal rye, a proven mixture here. Crimson clover and rye or oats also do well in my area. Cover crops are a temporary planting, usually sown in the fall, that help protect the soil from wind and erosion and add valuable organic material. They also establish a dense root structure that can have a positive effect on soil texture.

Cover crops also suppress weeds, deter insects and disease and help fix nitrogen. When the crops are turned into the soil, they become green manure . Adding organic matter in the form of compost and aged manure, or using mulch or growing cover crops , is the best way to prepare soil for planting. Adding chemical fertilizers will replenish only certain nutrients and do nothing for maintaining good, friable soil. Organic matter will help supply everything your plants need. Heavy clay soils are quite dense, do not drain well and tend to be hard and crack when dry.

Because there isn't much space between the clay particles, there usually isn't much organic matter or microbial life in the soil. Plant roots have a hard time growing in the hard material. A sandy soil will have good drainage but less water- and nutrient-holding capacity than a clay soil. Clay soils can be hard to work and slow draining, but will be more effective at holding water and nutrients for plant roots to take up. In any given soil profile, different layers of soil may have different textures, which affects drainage. You can determine a site's soil texture inexpensively using one of two simple methods outlined in the Colorado State Extension website.

It can encourage the growth of weeds by bringing dormant seeds to the surface and exposing them to sunlight. It can disturb the beneficial burrowing activities of earthworms — the best free labor you can get for loosening and aerating your soil. It can also interfere with the activity of important soil microorganisms. Despite these negatives, tilling is still a viable option if you need to work organic matter and nutrients into sticky clay soil or a new garden bed that's heavily compacted.

After that initial deep tilling, you can often let nature take its course to improve the structure of your soil. To get the organic matter down to root level, use a garden fork to mix the material into the top 4 to 6 inches of soil. In vegetable gardens, which usually contain annual or biennial plants, you can amend your soil each season.

Perennial gardens should be amended prior to planting so you won't disturb the plant roots. Many perennials must be dug up every few years for division, providing a good opportunity to work in additional organic matter. Rock phosphate, or rock dust, is also a valued amendment to restore phosphorus levels needed for vigorous plant growth. Soil texture depends on the amounts of sand, silt and clay it holds. A handy description of the three main soil components and an easy test to determine your soil type can be found atNASA's Soil Science Education Page.

Sand constitutes the biggest pieces of soil particles and feels gritty to the touch. Next in size are the silt particles which are slippery when wet and powdery when dry. They are flat and tend to stack together like plates or sheets of paper. Just pick up a little and rub it between your fingers.

If the soil feels smooth like talcum powder, it is silty. If the soil feels harsh when dry and slippery and sticky when wet, the soil is heavy clay. Sandy soils tend to not hold on to plant nutrients very well. The goal of amending this soil type is into increase the nutrient holding capacity.