Hey gardeners!
One of the main ways you can set yourself up for a healthy garden is to focus on the quality of the soil you’ll be planting in. Depending on a number of factors, like where your garden site is located, what the soil is like currently, and how long you plan on gardening that particular site, you can decide how involved your process should be.
The Farmer’s Almanac outlines a few basic techniques that help the health of any garden:
- Clear out rocks and debris: To dig up grass, use a spade to cut the sod into small squares and pry from the planting area with the end of the spade.
- Loosen the soil: If it’s your very first garden, loosen the soil to a depth of at least 8 inches (12 is better) so that roots can reach down.
- Add Organic Matter: Compost and aged manure not only feed the soil with nutrients but also drain well, loosen the soil to create more oxygen for plants, and stabilize and anchor plant roots. Spread at least 2 to 3 inches of compost or aged manure onto your soil (no more than 4 inches).
If it’s your first garden and you need better soil, we recommend working in the compost. If your garden is established, we recommend a no-dig approach and leaving the compost on the surface. This exposes fewer weed seeds and does not disturb the soil structure. Let the worms do the digging in for you!
For a deeper dive into soil testing and longer-term soil care, you can view the Farmer Almanac’s full article here.
This season with VINES, you can also test your soil before you plant! Soil tests can offer valuable information about pH and nutrient levels that can help your garden thrive.
The VINES soil testing program can offer you peace of mind by testing for dangerous heavy metals (such as lead) as well as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium and pH levels that can help you develop a fertility plan for your garden.
Please complete this form if you would like a VINES staff person to come and collect a soil sample from your home!
And don’t forget to visit the events page of our website for the upcoming season of Green Thumb workshops.
