![]() Organic matter is truly the key to great soil. Clays with good, friable structure are better aerated and drain better than those with poor structure. Others clays are made up of particles that group into looser clumpings of particles giving them a loose structure that we refer to as "friable." Grab a large clod of such a clay and it will easily crumble in your hand with a little pressure. Such impervious clays may be great for lining a farm pond, but are not what we need in the garden. Some clays are very "massive," forming solid, impervious blocks that are as hard as concrete when dry. Structure is the way the soil particles group together. Clay on the other hand drains very slowly but holds water and nutrients very well. Sand drains well but does not hold moisture or nutrients very readily. Sand particles are like large boulders next to the tiny silt particles and the infinitely smaller clay particles. Sand, silt and clay are three basic texture types. Texture describes the type and size of particles that make up a soil. This is why pecans growing on high pH soils often suffer from zinc deficiency. High (alkaline) and low (acidic) pH levels can both result in nutrient deficiency symptoms in your garden even though hose nutrients are present in the soil. Additionally, soil pH affects nutrient availability. Phosphorus for example can tie up iron, making it unavailable to growing plants. An excess of one nutrient can cause problems with another. The ratio between nutrients is also important. A deficiency of any one nutrient limits plant performance, sort of like the old adage that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Minor nutrients, including iron, manganese, zinc, boron, copper, molybdenum and chlorine are as important to plant growth as the big three, but are only needed in very small amounts. Secondary nutrients are calcium, magnesium and sulfur. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are primary nutrients. Those needed in the largest amounts we call primary nutrients. There are a number of different nutrients needed in various quantities by growing plants. Nutrient content is one of the first of these to consider. There are several factors that determine a soil’s suitability for supporting a successful garden. ![]() ![]() The good news is that almost any soil can be made fertile and productive. When starting to garden a new spot I consider it a personal challenge to turn that patch of earth into something you can stab a pencil into and have it start to root and grow. Unfortunately, whenever we move into a new place or decide to take up gardening for the first time, the soil we usually start off with is not fit for weeds. Great varieties, fantastic fertilizers, elaborate irrigation systems and magic tonics cannot make up for lousy soil. The point is that soil conditions play a major role in plant health and productivity. Someone once said that 50 percent of your chance of having a successful garden is already determined before you put the first seed into the ground. We know its value and that without it all our gardening efforts are futile. We gardeners know what good soil looks like, smells like and feels like. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |