How Transforming Your Soil Can Transform Your Harvest

When spring starts to bring warmth to the ground gardeners start to feel the urge to dig in the dirt and grow things. Still a lot of people feel let down when their results don't live up to what they hoped for. It might be a bit unexpected to find out that a good harvest doesn't just depend on the seeds or the weather. A lot of the time it actually comes from what is under the ground—the soil. Changing your soil can really change what you grow. Let's explore ways to tap into this potential and enjoy the benefits.

Getting to know your soil

To start changing your soil you need to know what it is like. Do a simple test on the soil to find out how healthy it is right now. This will show the acidity level the feel of it and what nutrients are in it. Good soil is full of living things. It needs to have a lot of organic material be able to drain well and have a good pH level. Most vegetables grow best when the pH is between 6.0 and 7.0.

Creating good soil

1. Organic matter plays an important role: Things like leftover food scraps, dried leaves, and cut grass are really useful for your garden. Adding compost on a regular basis helps make the soil better by improving its structure allowing for better drainage keeping moisture in and bringing in important tiny organisms. Try to mix in a couple of inches of compost into your garden each year.

2. Try using cover crops: Cover crops which some people call green manure are grown when the main crops are not in season. Plants such as clover hairy vetch and rye help make the soil better they also add nitrogen and stop erosion from happening.

3. Start using a gardening method where you don’t turn the soil over: Tilling can harm helpful creatures in the soil and break down the way the soil is put together as time goes on. Try using a no-till method by putting down some organic stuff that will break down and make the soil better over time.

4. Changing the types of crops grown in a field over time: Don't keep putting the same kind of plant in the same place every year. Various plants take away and add back different nutrients. Changing what you grow in a field keeps the soil healthy and full of nutrients.

Enhancing the way water flows and air moves through the soil.

Soil that is too packed down or soaked with water often harms plants. If your soil has drainage issues try mixing in some coarse sand or perlite to help it breathe better. You might want to think about using raised beds since they help with drainage and let you manage the soil quality more easily.

Here comes a look at helpful tiny organisms.

Soil is more than just dirt. It’s a place where different plants and animals interact with each other. Mycorrhizal fungi help your plants by making their roots spread out more which allows them to take in more nutrients. You can add these tiny organisms to your soil by getting mycorrhizal inoculants that you can find at many garden stores.

Keeping an eye on things and making changes

Sticking to a routine is important for keeping the soil in good shape. Check the health of your soil every year by doing soil tests and change your methods based on the results. As time goes by you will figure out exactly what your soil and plants require.

If you put in the work to improve your soil you will see better crops later. You will notice that the plants are growing better and producing more. Most importantly you will feel good knowing that a good harvest comes from taking care of the soil.

To sum it up a successful garden depends on what you can't see. Changing your soil takes time and work but the payoff of a rich and plentiful harvest makes it all worthwhile. If you take your time and pay attention to your soil your garden can do well every year.