Nice gardens aren’t something that just naturally occur. They take work and this includes ensuring that the soil is of a quality that will help the plants to grow because they are getting more than their fair share of good nutrients.
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Adding organic material to soil is one of the best ways to add nutrients to it. Organic material may come in the form of manure or other organic matter such as compost or even grass cuttings.
If you’re not one for putting the time into collecting organic material, then you might prefer to use compost. It will enable nitrogen to be added to your soil, which is very important with regards to plant growth.
Compost is made up of recycled organic waste. It enables soil to form humus, which is ideal for plant growth. Even if you decide to add just ¼ inch of compost to your top soil each season, you’ll be helping your soil no end. It will help with water retention in addition to guarding against disease.
Compost can be purchased, or you can create your own by layering organic materials such as manure, kitchen waste, weeds and residues of your crops on one layer and adding less decomposable materials on the other layer. This might include corncobs, straw or even autumn leaves. Microbes will break down these materials into a usable form.
Many gardeners plant long rooted plants in the garden to collect nutrients from deep into the subsoil. For example stinging nettle and comfrey grow roots from 8 to 10 feet deep and uprooted and then added to your compost pile.
Crops that cover such as beans, peas, clovers and alfalfa also improve the structure of the soil when they are growing in addition to offering nutrients from their decaying roots, which will also help oxygen and water to enter the soil.
A surprising addition you can make to compost are newspapers and cardboard. Some gardeners will lay down newspaper and cardboard on soil then add organic materials such as grass clippings and leaves.
Whatever you decide to do to improve the soil in your garden, you will reap in rewards through the beauty of your plants and the success of your crops.