Becoming a good gardener is more than just about having a lot of tools and a green thumb. The success of your landscaping or gardening journey begins at the very bottom – the soil.
The common misconception that newbies have when it comes to gardening is that all types of soil are okay to use. That’s far from the truth as only some soil are actually great for gardening. Aside from that, you also need to consider using a very important ingredient in gardening – soil conditioners.
What is a soil conditioner?
According to gardening experts from MSLWA, soil conditioners are soil amendments that help improve your soil. It does so by improving aeration, water holding capacity, the number of nutrients that are in your soil. Additionally, soil conditioners also loosen up hard soils to release nutrients and make them more viable for planting.
Lastly, there are also some soil conditioners that can raise or lower the pH level of your soil.
There are various types of soil conditioners. They include but are not limited to animal manure, compost, sawdust, peat moss, and many others.
Soil conditioners aren’t a magic ingredient that will make your garden lush in an instant. You need to work hard still if you want a green garden. Since we’re talking about soil conditioners, let’s first talk about how you can begin using this special ingredient first.
How To Use Soil Conditioners
1. What Type of Conditioner Do You Need?
The very first step is to first figure out what type of soil you actually need. Each type of soil conditioner serves a different purpose. For instance, compost is intended to add nutrients to your soil. Then there are also some conditioners that are made to alter your soil’s pH level.
The best way to determine what you need is to conduct a soil test. There are soil testing kits you can find online which will tell you the current state your soil is in. Ideally, you’d want to balance out the various components of your soil for maximum yield.
Once you’ve figured out what type of soil conditioner you need, you should then measure your garden to check how much you need.
2. Clearing Out the Garden
Next, you’d want to clear out any unwanted debris that’s laying on top of the soil. This includes dry leaves, rocks, and weeds.
The reason for this is that you’d want to maximize the effectiveness of your soil conditioner. These debris might block the soil conditioner from doing its job for your soil. The easiest way to clear out your garden is with the use of a rake. Just sweep away all of the debris and pull out any weeds.
3. Till The Garden
Tilling the soil means turning over the soil. This is an important step as with it, you’re basically bringing out the fresh and unused soil deep within your garden. Till to about 5-6 inches of the soil in your graden. The best tool to use for this is a garden hoe.
While lengthy and tiring, this is a very important step in the process. With enough patience, you’ll be able to till through your entire garden very easily.
4. Add The Soil Conditioner
Next and last, you should begin spreading and tilling the soil conditioner into your garden. The goal here is to mix in the conditioner to at least 6-inches deep into your soil for maximum effectiveness. Each soil conditioner varies in effectiveness so make sure to talk to your supplier about how much you need to use.
It can be exciting to begin planting in your newly conditioned garden immediately but stay patient. You should wait for at least 2-3 days to let the soil conditioner do its job before you begin planting.
Why Use A Soil Conditioner?
The quick answer is that soil conditioners are a great and easy way to make your garden more fertile. Even if you have a green thumb and you know your plants well, you won’t be able to get great yields in your garden if the soil you’re planting on is in bad shape.
Soil conditioners are a quick and easy way to make gardening easier on your end. Think of it as some sort of a power-up to your garden. Even the most experienced gardeners use it because it’s very quick and efficient.
It’s also a great way to sort out any major problems that you might have with your soil right now. It’s a complete game-changer that all gardeners should know about.
With this guide, you’re probably very excited about conditioning the soil in your garden immediately. Before you do, however, make sure that you’re getting organic and high-quality soil conditioners for your garden. With a good enough soil conditioner, your garden will become a lot greener in no time.
