No matter whether you are planting grass, flowers, vegetables or seeds, you need to prepare the soil. Good soil preparation ensures your garden gets off to a good start and achieves its maximum potential. Soil preparation takes some time; so get started several weeks before you intend to plant. Read on to learn more.
Instructions
1. Test the soil to see what its makeup is. Testing the soil can tell you how much of the three vital nutrients--nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium--your soil contains as well as the pH of the soil. You can test the soil with a home soil test kit purchased at a garden center. Your local county extension service can also test your soil for you.
2. Amend the soil's pH based on the results of the test. Increase the pH of your soil by adding lime to the soil. Decrease the pH by adding sulfur or peat moss. Research what pH the plants you're planting requires and adjust accordingly.
3. Adjust the soil to give it balanced nutrients. If your soil's lacking in nitrogen, apply blood meal to the soil. If it's lacking in phosphorus, amend it with an application of bone meal. Prepare your soil with some greensand or kelp meal if it's deficient in potassium.
4. Add fresh organic material to the soil. Every year soil needs new organic material to break down. Add compost from the compost pile or purchased from a garden center. In addition, you can add grass clippings, leaves or straw. These things add nutrients to the soil as they break down.
5. Loosen the soil. Loosening it allows you to work with it and gives it the proper aeration. Till the soil down 16 inches to properly loosen it. If your garden is too large to till with garden tools, motorized tillers are available for rent at garden centers.
6. Kill any weeds and diseases in the soil. Prepare the soil for planting by starting it off fresh without any weeds or diseases. To do this, spread some black weed paper or an old bed sheet over the area for a week prior to planting.
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