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| Evergreen Tree sprout planted in rich potting soil with leaves and wood chips. |
The soil you use to plant with is essential to the plant's success and many factors play into it. Urban Gardening for Dummies suggests tilling or turning over the soil frequently because it allows oxygen to interact with the soil and cause the soil microbes too, "go wild for organic matter" (Association)
Kent isn't exactly a farm town so, where do you get this good soil? Of course, you can always go to your local Home Depot and purchase a bag of potting soil, or you can try something cheaper and closer to home. Leaves, grass clippings, pine needles (these are highly acidic though so be careful), wood chips, and hay or straw are the most common plant-based organic matter used for garden soil (Association). These items are generally easy to find from mowing the lawn, collecting fallen leaves, and straw is pretty cheap. For my soil (seen on the right) I mixed leaves, wood chips, and some store-bought potting soil together.
Did you know that dirt played such a big part in our ecosystem?
Association, National Gardening., et al. Urban Gardening For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.
Kent isn't exactly a farm town so, where do you get this good soil? Of course, you can always go to your local Home Depot and purchase a bag of potting soil, or you can try something cheaper and closer to home. Leaves, grass clippings, pine needles (these are highly acidic though so be careful), wood chips, and hay or straw are the most common plant-based organic matter used for garden soil (Association). These items are generally easy to find from mowing the lawn, collecting fallen leaves, and straw is pretty cheap. For my soil (seen on the right) I mixed leaves, wood chips, and some store-bought potting soil together.
Did you know that dirt played such a big part in our ecosystem?
Association, National Gardening., et al. Urban Gardening For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.
How do leaves, grass, clippings, pine needles, wood chips and hay help the plant grown healthier?
ReplyDeleteThey offer natural nutrients to the plant and aren't infused with any chemicals that are harmful to the plant's growth.
DeleteWhat are soil microbes?
ReplyDeleteSoil microbes exist in all growing things and consist of bacteria, algae, fungi, and more. They are a natural part of our ecosystem.
Delete