Reading Your Garden Soil by Hand
Texture influences how a soil behaves, but structure describes the way its particles are arranged.
GROW YOUR OWN WAY
Soil and Compost.
Understand the foundations beneath your plants, from drainage to everyday compost care.
Checking Drainage Before Planting
Watch where incoming water originates before improving a bed. Roof runoff a nearby slope or a compacted path can repeatedly add water to one location.
Understanding a Soil Test Report
Read the laboratory recommendations for your intended crop and local soil. Do not add lime or fertilizer just because a result looks unfamiliar.
Sampling Soil Without Mixing Different Beds
Sampling depth can change what a laboratory result means. Use the requested depth consistently and avoid scraping only loose material from the surface.
Improving Sandy Soil Gradually
Sandy beds often need attention to the timing of water rather than the force of each application. Apply water slowly enough to wet the root area and check where it reached.
Working With Heavy Clay
Clay is not automatically infertile soil. Its challenge in many gardens is restricted air and slow drainage when wet, followed by a hard surface when dry.
Recognizing Soil Compaction
Compaction commonly appears at entrances turning points and places where a gardener stands to reach a wide bed.
Compost as a Soil Amendment
Finished compost contributes organic matter and a variable amount of nutrients, depending on its ingredients and process.
Knowing When Compost Is Ready
Look for a stable, earthy, crumbly material rather than using compost solely because a certain number of months has passed.
Balancing Browns and Greens in Compost
Dry leaves create useful structure between wet kitchen plant scraps and fresh clippings. Store a clean supply where it remains available when the wet ingredients arrive.
Keeping a Compost Heap Moist
Rain falling on the top does not prove that moisture reached the center. Open a small section and inspect the actual material.
Adding Air to a Dense Compost Heap
Aeration is easier when the material has a mixture of sizes. Long unbroken stems can leave large voids while dense grass mats exclude air altogether.
A Simple Cold Compost System
A cold heap is useful precisely because it can work slowly with limited intervention. Match expectations to that process.
Managing Grass Clippings in Compost
Grass clippings arrive in large wet batches after mowing, which can exceed the capacity of a small compost bin.
Making Leaf Mold for Garden Use
Leaf mold and mixed garden compost are different materials. Clean leaves can break down through a slow fungal dominated process without being combined into a hot mixed heap.
Choosing a Compost Bin Location
The best bin position includes the route used in bad weather. A bin that can only be reached across a slippery muddy strip is unlikely to receive careful balanced additions.
Stopping a Compost Bin From Drying Out
When a heap is dry throughout, a cover can preserve moisture after the material has been rewetted. Covering a dry heap without adjusting the interior simply preserves dryness.
Preventing Soggy Compost After Rain
The source of excess water may be the ground under the bin rather than rain through the lid. Check the base after a wet period before repeatedly adding more dry material.