Post by Urban Warrior on May 11, 2006 16:33:04 GMT
How healthy is your soil?
There are some simple things to look out for that can help show how healthy your soil is:
How well do your plants grow? Four major nutrients are needed for healthy soil (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium and Magnesium) and any deficiencies might show themselves through the leaves of plants turning yellow or showing a slight purple colouration, stunted growth or susceptibility to disease or lack of/reduced flowering.
If soil has been left bare for too long, it may have suffered from wind and water erosion, which can damage soil structure and remove the valuable topsoil, leaving it looking dry and generally a bit lacklustre. If this is the case, soil conditioning compost may need to be incorporated to improve the structure, allowing plant roots to penetrate more easily to find water and nutrients. By adding a soil conditioner there is a small, but useful, contribution to reducing flood risks and water can be retained longer after rainfall.
A sign of healthy soil is the presence of worms - in fact soil without worm activity is likely to be quite poor quality, so it’s worth taking a good look. Worms create good texture, drainage and incorporate organic matter into the soil.
Getting to know your soil
Soil is made from and contains organic matter, and three other components - clay, silt and sand – in varying quantities.
Your topsoil, which is the 1-2ft nearest the surface where plants are more likely to grow, is likely to fall into one of five categories:
loam (the best); ~ This is what grows in my garden ;D
chalk;
silt;
clay; and
sand.
You can send your soil away for analysis, but some more simple tests you can do yourself might also be able to help identify it.
Acid or alkaline?
Only 16% of people with gardens know if their soil is acidic, alkaline or neutral, although this will have a huge bearing on what types of plants will grow. Soil pH will be dictated by soil type, and can be tested with a simple soil tester, available for under £10 from garden centres. The pH range is from one which is acidic, through to 14 which is alkaline, with a pH of seven being neutral. Soil falling within a range of 5.5-8.2 is usually suitable for most gardens.
Plants which enjoy an acidic soil include Rhododendrons, Camellia, Desfontainia and Larix. Clematis, Daphne, Spiraea and Wisteria on the other hand, prefer a more alkaline soil, such as sand or chalk.
Know Your Compost
No matter what your soil type, all can benefit from the digging in of well-rotted organic matter, such as a good quality compost. Few soils will have sufficient organic matter naturally. But only 39% of people with gardens currently use compost.
Maggie Newton added: “Organic matter is vital to all soils for a variety of reasons. Firstly it adds essential nutrients, which means healthier and stronger plants. Secondly it improves the soil structure, allowing not only roots to penetrate more easily, but also to ensure water and air filter through effectively.
It also aids water retention, meaning plants are healthier - and less watering for you! And it’s possible to help your garden and the environment at the same time. So, where possible, choose a soil conditioner which contains recycled garden material. This helps cut down the amount of waste sent to landfill and gets really good results too.
“It’s impossible to over condition your soil – the natural processes which take place in it mean soil conditioner is rapidly incorporated. So there’s no excuse for not doing it regularly throughout the year, to make sure your plants are always healthy and happy!”
Many garden centres now stock a good choice of reduced peat and peat free products including soil conditioners that contain recycled green waste. It’s also worth checking out your local council’s recycling centre, as increasing numbers of these are selling good quality soil conditioners as a result of recycling collections of local green waste. Alternatively, people can make their own effective soil conditioners by home composting their kitchen and garden waste.
There are some simple things to look out for that can help show how healthy your soil is:
How well do your plants grow? Four major nutrients are needed for healthy soil (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium and Magnesium) and any deficiencies might show themselves through the leaves of plants turning yellow or showing a slight purple colouration, stunted growth or susceptibility to disease or lack of/reduced flowering.
If soil has been left bare for too long, it may have suffered from wind and water erosion, which can damage soil structure and remove the valuable topsoil, leaving it looking dry and generally a bit lacklustre. If this is the case, soil conditioning compost may need to be incorporated to improve the structure, allowing plant roots to penetrate more easily to find water and nutrients. By adding a soil conditioner there is a small, but useful, contribution to reducing flood risks and water can be retained longer after rainfall.
A sign of healthy soil is the presence of worms - in fact soil without worm activity is likely to be quite poor quality, so it’s worth taking a good look. Worms create good texture, drainage and incorporate organic matter into the soil.
Getting to know your soil
Soil is made from and contains organic matter, and three other components - clay, silt and sand – in varying quantities.
Your topsoil, which is the 1-2ft nearest the surface where plants are more likely to grow, is likely to fall into one of five categories:
loam (the best); ~ This is what grows in my garden ;D
chalk;
silt;
clay; and
sand.
You can send your soil away for analysis, but some more simple tests you can do yourself might also be able to help identify it.
Acid or alkaline?
Only 16% of people with gardens know if their soil is acidic, alkaline or neutral, although this will have a huge bearing on what types of plants will grow. Soil pH will be dictated by soil type, and can be tested with a simple soil tester, available for under £10 from garden centres. The pH range is from one which is acidic, through to 14 which is alkaline, with a pH of seven being neutral. Soil falling within a range of 5.5-8.2 is usually suitable for most gardens.
Plants which enjoy an acidic soil include Rhododendrons, Camellia, Desfontainia and Larix. Clematis, Daphne, Spiraea and Wisteria on the other hand, prefer a more alkaline soil, such as sand or chalk.
Know Your Compost
No matter what your soil type, all can benefit from the digging in of well-rotted organic matter, such as a good quality compost. Few soils will have sufficient organic matter naturally. But only 39% of people with gardens currently use compost.
Maggie Newton added: “Organic matter is vital to all soils for a variety of reasons. Firstly it adds essential nutrients, which means healthier and stronger plants. Secondly it improves the soil structure, allowing not only roots to penetrate more easily, but also to ensure water and air filter through effectively.
It also aids water retention, meaning plants are healthier - and less watering for you! And it’s possible to help your garden and the environment at the same time. So, where possible, choose a soil conditioner which contains recycled garden material. This helps cut down the amount of waste sent to landfill and gets really good results too.
“It’s impossible to over condition your soil – the natural processes which take place in it mean soil conditioner is rapidly incorporated. So there’s no excuse for not doing it regularly throughout the year, to make sure your plants are always healthy and happy!”
Many garden centres now stock a good choice of reduced peat and peat free products including soil conditioners that contain recycled green waste. It’s also worth checking out your local council’s recycling centre, as increasing numbers of these are selling good quality soil conditioners as a result of recycling collections of local green waste. Alternatively, people can make their own effective soil conditioners by home composting their kitchen and garden waste.