Once you have decided the best place to plant your garden you should take a closer look at the structure of your soil. The quality or how healthy your soil is will determine how well your plants will grow. Once you determine the quality of the soil, you can make adjustments so that your garden is successful.
The best way to understand your soil is to get out in the middle of your garden and take a look! The next best thing is to take a soil sample and sent it to a lab to be evaluation. While you are waiting for lab results, take these easy steps to evaluate your soil.
- Look at the color. The best soil is a dark rich brown color.
- Smell it! Good soil has a rich earthy smell to it. (no need to taste it)
- Crumble it in your hand. If it falls apart- too dry.
- Look for earthworms! Earthworms are a good indicator of a healthy soil. You cannot add them but they will come when your soil is improved.
These simple steps are an easy way to start getting aware of what type of soil you have. You can get a more in depth understanding once your test results are back. Knowing your soil is important in understanding what you need to do to help improve it and in turn improve the life of your plants.