Maintaining Your Soil

The most important element in gardening is the soil, so it no surprise that in organic gardening your soil should be your first concern. The composition of your soil can harm or help the growth of your garden.

Soil is composed of clay, silt and sand. The difference in soil is determined by the drainage, the capacity to hold water and the amount of air that is able to pass through it.

Soil has four major components: rocks and minerals which are the solid parts, organic matter composed of microorganisms, water, and air, which must be able to pass through the soil.

The ratio of these components in your soil determines the quality, and how well your plants will be able to grow. Soil made of roughly 50% air and water in equal parts, 40% minerals, and 10% organic matter is superb for gardening.

Proper gardening soil is dark in color, sweet smelling, and when it is moist, it forms a lump when squeezed in the hand. This type of soil is generally full of earthworms, which make it even more potent and fertile. Unfortunately, this kind of soil is also very rare, so chances are that you will have to fertilize your soil to achieve this potency.

You can buy a soil test kit or take a sample of your soil to a laboratory for testing to find out what it lacks. The results of this test should tell the pH of the soil and what nutrients are in abundance or in short supply in your soil.

Organic compost and soil amendments, such as bone meal, greensand and rock phosphate, can be used to improve the quality of your soil. These can improve the structure, texture, and aeration of your soil. They are also used to maintain a healthy pH level, enable the soil to hold more water and supply nutrients that are needed.