“A lot of garden work seems to depend on the soil, and I'm not sure if the soil in my garden is very good. What can I do to improve it? - Hong Kong
That's right, perfect plants, perfect installation, perfect water system and perfect climate, etc. but if your soil is bad, you won't get good results. So let's talk about some things you can do to improve your soil before we enter the growing season.
First, you need to know the nutrient levels in your soil. Without knowing your nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and pH levels, you're already at a disadvantage. Yes, you can add these nutrients to the soil, but without knowing the current levels it's impossible to know how much to add, and in some cases not at all.
The soil around us almost always needs nitrogen as it is consumed by growing plants, but phosphorus, potassium and pH are a different story. The best way to know for sure is to do a soil test. The process is simple and only costs $10. With the price of the fertilizer, it will cost $10. We have instructions on our website at Lawn & Garden Help / Soil (tulsamastergardeners.org). A soil test will give you specific instructions for regulating nutrient levels, but here are some things anyone can do to improve their garden. soil quality
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First, it is necessary to increase the organic matter content in the soil. Organic matter is basically anything that used to be alive, especially decaying plant material such as compost, sawdust, roots, leaves and grass clippings, or animal waste such as manure. The soil in our region generally contains about 1% organic matter. We want to get around 5-6% organic content in our soil. If you've ever walked through a cornfield in Illinois, one of the reasons they may do this is because of the higher organic matter content in the soil.
The organic matter will help enrich and loosen the soil, improve drainage, retain water and nutrients, reduce erosion and provide an ideal environment for the growth of earthworms and beneficial microorganisms. Plus, as organic matter breaks down, it releases essential nutrients your crops need to grow.
Compost is a great addition to your garden and a good source of organic matter. You can buy ready-made compost, but it's easy enough to make it at home. With so much "green waste" ending up in the trash, it's like throwing away perfect garden supplements.
In short, you can compost just about anywhere. Compost structures don't have to be fancy and can be made with concrete blocks stacked in a U-shape several feet high, or you can buy one of the composting kits available. The key to composting is choosing the right ingredients for your compost pile.
The stuff that goes into your compost pile can be divided into green and brown. Greens are things like grass clippings or plant food scraps. Brown would include dead leaves or paper products. Composting is almost an art and a science, but it's not that difficult to master.
In the near future we will be opening enrollments for our Master Composter Course, where you will not only learn to compost better, but also teach others how to compost. Please visit our website in the coming weeks for more information and to register.
So consider adding mulch to your garden if you don't already have it. I know there is a lot of talk about mulch here, but there are so many benefits. Mulch not only helps maintain healthy soil temperatures, retains moisture, reduces the spread of disease, and reduces weed invasion, but it also decomposes during the growing season and returns to the soil, adding organic matter back again. the earth
Cover crops are also a good way to improve soil. This year that boat set sail for winter harvests, but there's always next winter. Cover crops do many things: they protect the soil from erosion, conserve soil moisture, reduce weeds, recycle nutrients in the soil, and naturally increase soil organic matter. They increase the amount of organic matter in the soil because you plowed it into the soil before gardening season. Cover crops such as legumes can also take nitrogen from the air and transfer it to the soil. So that's it. Be sure to use a box cutter to trim the cover crop before planting.
Wheatgrass, Austrian winter peas, red clover, or winter rye are good cover crops. However, there are more cover crops than we can cover here, so take a look at the Herb and Garden Care/Vegetables section of our website.
Soil quality improvement is generally a process, i.e. not a one-off activity. This is something you will likely work towards as a gardener. But if you take care of the earth, it will take care of you. See you soon in the garden.
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You can answer all of your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardener Hotline at 918-746-3701, visit our diagnostic center at 4116 E. 15th St., or email us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org.
