Garden
Soils
Acid
Soil
Cultivated soil in humid regions will become increasingly acid if
steps are not taken to reverse the process. That's because soil
water will dissolve the more alkaline substances like calcium,
sodium, magnesium, and potassium faster than acidic materials like
carbon. In soil management language, the alkalis "leach out" sooner
than the acids.
Making
Compost
Compost is an organic matter, usually
garden debris, that has been allowed or encouraged to decay. To be
a successful organic gardener, you will want to take advantage of
the benefit of using a compost. It is useful in improving fertility
and texture of planting beds and is an important constituent of
greenhouse and potting soils.
Garden Soil and
Earthworms
Earthworms benefit garden soil and
plants in several aspects: They convert organic material into
nutrients that plants can absorb; they loosen the soil, which makes
it easier for the roots to grow and the air and water to circulate
in the soil; they increase the soil's water retention capability;
they bring the mineral and other nutrients that are located deep in
the soil to the top layer, where they can be absorbed by the
plants.
Alkaline
Soil
A slight alkalinity can be cured sometimes
with a little borax and manganese, but be guided at all times by
soil tests when using these trace mineral elements. It doesn't take
much boron to kill a plant. Farmers in semiarid regions often use
gypsum, which is calcium sulphate, to add calcium to soil that is
already alkaline enough ...
Nitrogen In
Soil
Soils rich in organic matter are seldom
deficient in nitrogen, since nitrogen is produced during
decomposition of organic matter. The amount may not be high enough
to produce top yields, however. That's why soil periodically should
be planted to a legume that will fix additional nitrogen in the
soil by the action of bacteria living on the legume roots.
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