![]() ![]() Clay soil needs lots of organic matter and loft to break up the sticky dense texture, including compost and well-aged manure. When it dries in hot summer sun, clay soil cracks it also gets waterlogged in winter. It’s often fertile but the nutrients get locked up. Clay soil will easily hold its shape when rolled into a ball. With very fine particles, clay soil will feel wet and sticky. It will not form a hard ball when squeezed nor crack or crust over when dry. The soil is damp, but not sticky, even after a rainfall. Loamy soil has that perfect balance-it holds moisture but also drains well, allows oxygen to reach plants’ roots, and is rich in humus (organic matter). It’s fertile, easy to work, and contains plenty of organic matter. The ideal soil texture is “loamy” and consists of equal parts of sand, silt, and clay. There are three types of soil: clay soil, sandy soil, and silt. We’ll touch on three important components: ![]() Having good soil is critical in your success as a gardener, and will end up making gardening so much easier. ![]() Determining the make up of your soil composition is important because you’ll understand if you need to tweak anything. Once you build a foundation of rich, dark, fertile soil, gardening will be “easier” the rest of the year and every year going forward!ĭo you have clay or sandy soil? Is your soil acidic or alkaline? Is it thin or rich in nutrients? If you really want to improve your gardening success overall, take time to understand the type of soil in your own yard. Don’t dig up the soil, which will just bring new weed seeds to the surface-the idea is to just remove those that are already at the top. Once the weed seedlings are up, pull them out or remove them with a hoe. Read more about warming up the spring soil.Ī tip: If you have a very weedy garden and just getting started, cover the soil in late winter with clear plastic (“solarization”). Also, cover your beds before planting with black plastic to cardboard to block light and protect it from snow, rain, and erosion. Level the garden bed: With a steel garden, rake or hoe the surface so it’s level.Ī tip: If you live in a colder region, consider a raised garden bed to help wet, cold soils dry out and warm up more quickly. This exposes fewer weed seeds and not disturb the soil structure. If your garden is established, we recommend a no-dig approach and just leaving the compost on the surface.
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