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.