The secret to a beautiful garden is in the soil 3/6/2010 11:07 PM By JACQUE REES and PAM GLOGOWSKI Guest columnists
Ahhh, spring! When a young heart turns to ... soil?
Well, it does if you're a Master Gardener. Our training, which includes classes on growing everything from trees to ornamental plants to vegetables, concentrates heavily on soil preparation, the key to creating a beautiful garden. Yes, the dirt in our gardens is soil. We speak of it with respect because it is the most important component of a successful garden; however, it is still dirt when it gets on your clothes.
It has been said that to have a great garden is to have great soil; so, in order to care for your garden, start with caring for your soil. Plants receive all of their nutrients through their roots, and, therefore, from the soil they are planted in. When you feed your soil, you are feeding your plants.
Having a pH test or soil test is important because the test will provide information on what nutrients are lacking in your soil and state recommended fertilizer application rates for the type of garden you have. For complete instructions on how to have your soil tested, visit www.aikenmastergardeners.org/soiltest.htm.
Q: But what makes great soil?
A: The short answer: A great garden soil is a rich, sandy loam full of organic matter; it has a healthy mix of clay, sand and organic matter. Most existing soils in our area are either heavy on the clay or the sand components and require some amending with organics to make them good garden soils. Garden soil should be light and allow for air and water movement but have some tithe, a kind of fine bread crumb like texture, which usually occurs when there is plenty of organic matter in the soil.
Q: What is "organic matter" and where do I get it?
A: Organic matter is the only soil amendment that aids both the fertility and the texture of the soil. Whether it is composted animal manure or plant material, you will be adding nutrients to your soil and the whole ecosystem that exists there. The soil, in turn, will feed your plants.
There are many types of organic matter: Compost makes an excellent amendment, and, if you are composting your own garden waste, it is free. Manure can often be obtained from local farms and stables. It should be composted and decomposed until it turns dark, crumbly and odorless. Fresh manure has too much ammonia in it and can burn your plants and offend your neighbors. Peat moss is inexpensive and works well to loosen the soil. It is also very dusty. Wet it first to make it easier to work with. Cover crops or green manure are crops grown on unused soil with the intent of tilling them in and letting them decompose in the garden. The roots keep the soil loosened as they grow and the plants suppress weeds. Cover crops from the legume family, like clover and vetch, also add nitrogen to the soil.
You can even work grass clippings and other yard debris directly into the garden bed to decompose slowly. Be sure whatever you put down is free of weed seeds.
Q: How do I make compost?
A: It is rare in life to find a simple, low-cost solution to a host of problems, but gardeners have one - compost. It is easy to produce; just let organic matter rot down into black gold. It is inexpensive: everything you need to make it (kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, pulled weeds or straw) is either cheap or free. And it works. It will lighten a heavy, clay soil and beef up a thin, sandy one. Here are some tips to get started:
Compost is made when a pile of organic materials heats up by means of microbial action. This speeds decomposition and kills harmful pathogens and weed seeds. You can compost in a tidy, free-standing pile or one enclosed by wire mesh, boards, logs, straw bales or anything that lets air in from the sides. Make the heap between 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet and 5 feet by 5 feet by 5 feet to create the heat necessary for decomposition and to allow adequate air circulation. The basics:
1. Add the "browns," carbon-rich ingredients like shredded leaves, small twigs, shredded newspapers and junk mail (omit the shiny paper, please).
2. Next add the "greens," nitrogen-rich ingredients such as spent crops, lawn clippings, vegetable scraps and manure (from horses, cows or poultry).
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the pile is the desired size.
It's that simple! Alternating layers of brown and green ingredients keeps your heap cooking. Avoid the following: materials treated with herbicides or pesticides, droppings from cats and dogs, and meat and meat by-products. Water may need to be added once in a while to keep the process going. Don't overwater; just keep the pile moist. Turn the heap once in a while so it cooks evenly and more quickly. Fork it onto an adjacent spot, turning it upside down and reversing the center and the periphery. Now just be patient. The miraculous death-and-rebirth by which great soil is created still takes time. Your compost should look like rich, dark, crumbly earth when it is done, at which point it can be added to your garden.
Once you've prepared your garden soil, you're ready for our favorite spring activity - planting! We love plants, and even though we may think we already have enough, we'll still be finding some new beauties at the garden centers this spring.
What do I look for when purchasing plants?
Believe it or not, don't purchase the biggest plant with the most buds or open flowers. Look for a full, lush and sometimes smaller plant with tight buds (if it's a flowering plant). Inspect the plant; look for pests - no need to bring home any more pests or weeds. Look closely at the roots; are the roots growing out the bottom of the pot? This isn't necessarily bad; it just means the plant has been in that pot too long, and you want a good healthy root system.
OK, I found some plants. Now what do I do?
We'll assume you have already worked on your soil and that you've read the plant label for sun or shade requirements. Decide where the plants should go, remembering that taller ones go in the back. Place the plants - still in the pots - in the garden; you may have to move them several times until you get the desired effect. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and as deep as the soil that's in the pot. Let's say the pot is 5 inches across and 6 inches deep with 4 inches of soil in the pot. The hole should be 10 inches wide and 4 inches deep. Remove the plant from the pot; look at the root ball - if the roots are running in a circular pattern around the inside of the pot, loosen the roots. Place the plant in the hole, insuring that the top of the root ball is even or slightly higher than the surrounding soil. Spread the roots out and refill the hole gently, tapping the soil down. Add a 3 to 4 inches layer of mulch, and don't forget to water well.
Other questions?
For more detailed information on any of these topics, visit Clemson's Home and Garden Information Center at www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic.
Aiken Master Gardeners are usually in the Aiken County Clemson extension office at 1555 Richland Ave. E. Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until noon to answer your questions.
You can also give us a call at the office at 649-6297, ext. 122. If your call isn't answered immediately, leave your name, phone number and a short message about your problem, and you should get a return call within 24 hours.
Lastly, you can e-mail your questions to us at info1@aikenmastergardeners.org.
2010 Master Gardener Almanac for Aiken and Vicinity
The new and revised Master Gardener Almanac for Aiken and Vicinity is now available. It will be sold for $15 at the Aiken County Agriculture Building at 1550 Richland Ave. E., at three local nurseries -Cold Creek, Nurseries Caroliniana and Palmetto Nursery - and at the Farmers Market at Richland and Williamsburg streets on the first Saturday of each month when the Master Gardeners are present (March through November). The new almanac has been completely revised and increased in size to 82 pages.
Lunch Box lecture series
Our Aiken Master Gardener Lunch Box lecture series continues on Monday, March 15 with a program by Master Gardener Tom Dix on "Vegetable Gardening." The series is held at the Aiken County Agricultural Services Building, 1555 Richland Ave. E. Admission is free. No reservations are required, and participants may bring in food and drink during the presentation. For more information about the Lunch Box Series, call the Clemson Extension Service at 649-6297, ext. 122.
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