Soil and Fertilizer Articles
Soil Acid Or Alkaline?
I received a question the other day about soil being acid or alkaline, as it relates to flowers.
Cultivated flowers fall into two groups based upon soil preferance. One group will grow only in acid soil with a pH below 6.5, while the others prefer or will tolerate only alkaline soil, pH 6.5 or above.
Acid lovers are plants that thrive on raw humus, such as their ancestors found in the woods, where
leaves …
Double Digging Your Soil
Double digging, also called “trenching”: remove a spade’s depth of soil over all the area you want to improve and put it aside. Dig organic materials into the next spade’s depth. Mix the same organic materials into the soil you initially removed and put that mixture on top of the deeper mixture.
What you accomplish is aeration of your soil to a depth of approx. 18 inches with the inclusion of organic matter, as well. Deep root …
Organic Matter In the Soil
Organic matter is material in the soil that has several important roles:
acts like glue to hold the mineral particles together.
Is a food source for the minute( or micro) organisms that live in the soil.
Is a source of nutrients for the plants.
Strongly influences what color the soil will be.
Organic Matter and the mineral particles work together somewhat like mortar and bricks. The organic matter acts as the mortar or glue and causes particles to stick together …
