Getting Down And Dirty With Soil
- Gwen M
- Apr 20, 2017
- 7 min read
Getting Down And Dirty With Soil 4 Simple Steps In Preparing Your soil for planting
First let's start with all the tools you need.
4 Tips For Preparing Your Soil For Planting:
1.Using your garden fork for rocks that might be buried under the dirt first remove large rocks and stones
2.Add compost because it improves the soil don't be stingy with it add a lot of it the more you add the better for your soil so put your back into it at least about 30cm of the soil. Mix well
3.Next add and work in generous handfuls of fertiliser about a handful per m2
4.Ok now it's time for the time to work in Bonemeal or Supperphosphate just a small handful per m2 is all that is needed. This will help to develope healthy plant roots
Now you are ready to plant and grow anything
5 Types Of Soil You Need To Know
Healthy soil is a must if you are trying to grow anything at all
so I'm going to go over 5 types of soil so that you will know
the difference between the types and their function
1. Saline:
You will find this soil in extremely dry regions it is usually brackish because it has a salt content. which is known as saline soil, it can damage and keep plants from growing, it can stop or prevent germination, as well as cause difficulties in irrigation.
Salinity is because of the buildup of soluble salts in the rhizosphere the high salt contents stops the water uptake by plants, which will lead to drought stress. Easy to test to find out if you have saline soil. You should see a white layer coating the surface of the soil, your plants may end up growing poorly, and they’re suffering from burned leaf tips, especially on young leaves.
2. Silty:
The particles are much smaller in this type of soil so when you touch it it should feel smooth It will turn soapy slick when moistened . When you ,The dirt is left on your skin when you roll it between your fingers .
This type of soil holds water longer, but will not hold on to as much nutrients as you’d would like even though it’s fertile. Because of it's moisture-retentive quality, this soil type is cold and will not drain well at all. It can also easily compact, so avoid walking on it when in your garden. It can become poorly aerated, too.
3. Sandy:
The type of soil that has the largest particles among the different soils is the sandy soil. This type of soil is dry and also feel gritty when you touch it. The particles in sandy soil has large spaces between them so for that reason they can't hold water.
The water will drain very quickly through the spaces to places where they root, particularly those of seedlings, cannot reach. When this happens the plants don’t have a chance of using the nutrients in the soil more efficiently as they’re carried away fast by the runoff. The good side to this soil is that it’s very light to garden with and warms very fast in the spring.
when you test tyo see what type of soil it is you have to moisten the soil and then roll it into a ball to check the predominating soil particle. The soil should crumble right through your finger when you try to roll it into a ball using the palm of your hands
3. Clay:
You will find that clay soil has the smallest particles among the three so this makes it has good water storage qualities. It feels sticky to the touch when it's wet, however smooth when dry.
Because of the very small size particles and its tendency to settle together, little to no air passes through its spaces. This makes it slower to drain, it has a tighter hold on plant nutrients.
However this soil is rich in plant food for much better growth. Clay soil tend to be cold during the months of spring, and it takes time to warm because the water on the inside also has to warm up. The problem with this soils is that it could be very heavy to work with when it gets dry. During the summer months, it could turn hard and compact that will, making it very hard to turn.
Advoid working with clay soil while it's to wet because it’s prone to damage.Remember this If moistened soil feels sticky, or rolls up easily, and forms into a ball like shape, then you’ve got yourself clay.
4. Peaty:
The color of peaty soil is either dark brown or black,because of it's high water content it is easy to compress, it's soft also it is rich in organic matter. This type of soil started forming over 9,000 years ago, with the rapid melting of glaciers. This kind of rapid melt will drown plants fast and will die in the process. The decaying was very slow underwater until it led to the accumulation of organic area in a concentrated spot.
Peat soil tends to be heavily saturated with water, however once drained, it will turn into a good growing medium. During the summer , peat can be very dry and because of that it could become a become a fire hazard. The best thing about peat soil, is its ability to hold water in during the dry months as well as its capacity to protect the roots from damage during the very wet months.
It contains acidic water, but gardeners use it to regulate the chemistry in the soil or what we call the ph levels soil It can act as well an agent of disease control for the soil.
When you roll wet peat, it will not form a ball. It feels spongy when the touched and when you squeezed it, water will come out .
5. Saline:
You will find this soil in extremely dry regions it is usually brackish because it has a salt content. which is known as saline soil, it can damage and keep plants from growing, it can stop or prevent germination, as well as cause difficulties in irrigation.
Salinity is because of the buildup of soluble salts in the rhizosphere the
high salt contents stops the water uptake by plants, which will lead to drought stress. Easy to test to find out if you have saline soil. You should see a white layer coating the surface of the soil, your plants may end up growing poorly, and they’re suffering from burned leaf tips, especially on young leaves.
I believe that anyone can garden or farm if they are taught properly. Before planting anything, they need to know what they are planting and what that plant requires in terms of soil condition, sunlight, nutrition, as well as water needs.
In the past, this knowledge was acquired one of two ways: Learn from a true seasoned gardener/farmer what that plant needs by asking them. Read books or articles on the plant and learn as much as you can on your own. Regardless of how you acquire the knowledge, the burden of testing out what you have learned is still on you.
Soil Erosion
Soil erosion can be big costly problem, so it is vital that you plan ahead when creating your garden.You need to Make sure your soil erosion control and rain damage prevention are done right during the beginning of the landscaping stage and also if you are building a house from the ground up erosion control need to be in place. This will keep your maintenanace cost down year after year.
Have you notice after a hard rain you may see what is called sediment on your sidewalks and driveways. Sediment comes from soil erosion and is the biggest pollutant in our rivers, lakes and streams. Flooding will happen ff your yard sediment clogs up your storm sewers. If any part of your property land is left uncovered no matter how big or small an area, is susceptible to rain damage and soil erosion.
You will find phosphorus in lakes and streams is a major cause of Sediment being in your yard. Know that if you get a excess phosphorus, there is a good chance of unhealthy algae blooms. When algae blooms happens it will cause an awful smell, and most often will kill fish and other water life. In order to keep water ways clear and your enviroment clean clear you need Rain damage prevention as well as soil erosion control.
Here Are Some Solutions To Erosion Control And Rain Damage Prevention:
Place covers on all the stock-piled soil you may have on your property. When not in use keeping them covered with a weighted plastic tarp will help with soil erosion control.
Plant a temporary vegetative cover on the unfinished part of your yard. You need to do this because it will hold the soil in place even thought you haven't touch it in a while. Try annual rye grass is a nice choice for this.
Put down mulch in areas of soil that are exposed and also next to a hard surface, for example a sidewalk or driveway, can be covered and stabilized by mulch or maybe mulch and a temporary vegetative covering.
You have many types of mulching products on the market today, including straw, straw netting blankets and wood fiber blankets. By placing mulch on large areas of bare ground, you are doing one of the best things possible to prevent rain damage and soil erosion
When your home landscaping is complete, Permanently Seed or sod your entire yard once landscaping is complete. This will help stabilize the soil for the life span of your yard.
When your was first built, the water that would land on your roof generally would run off and is taken to the ground through the gutters and downspouts. Make sure your gutters are properly fitted from the start and is pitched toward the downspouts. When you Keep your gutters sloping to the downspouts that will accelerate water flow, and will allow the water to flow easily.
To keep this all from leaking, any joints in the gutters and downspouts should be caulked. Your downspouts are normally found on the corners of the house If any kind of maintenance is needed, whether it's due to leakage or clogging, you could be facing at a huge bill.
There is a “new kid on the block” for rain damage prevention and soil erosion control. It is a product that actually extends your downspout far enough out into your yard to help keep your home safe from rain damage and soil erosion. It's called Rainguard. This product is a Downspout Extension that is placed on the bottom of a downspout and they roll out when it rains to drain the water away from your home.
What is especially nice about these extensions are that they roll back up and out of the way when it is not raining. All of your downspouts should be properly fitted with screws and sealers.
So by now i hope you can see, their are many options for soil erosion control and rain damage prevention in property you own and maintain. A rain storm does not have to be a problem for you or your environment.
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