Some may believe gardening is limited to planting seeds, nurturing the plants, and harvesting the crops; we disagree. Sure, there’s a typical growing season, but gardening is something beyond putting seeds in the ground, adding fertilizer, and picking the vegetables. Gardening is also an art….and a science….and it’s something the farmer is conscious of year-round.
As we reap the last of our harvests, we begin to focus on next year’s growing season. We contemplate our successes and failures this year, plan how we might expand or do things differently than we did, and we begin to look at our soil. Fall is the time to start amending the soil; you should strive to replace nutrients used by the plants the previous growing season. Here is our fall and winter gardening plans for our traditional gardens (our raised beds are mentioned in another blog entry).
Test the soil: we like to get a baseline to see how our soil compares to last fall, and what nutrients we most need to concentrate on replacing. It’s also nice to know where our pH levels are. In WV, we are able to test our soil for free with our Extension Agency. Basically, we obtain soil from several areas in the garden and combine the samples in a large bucket. From there, we mix the soil and pull our one sample for testing. We mix because just getting a soil sample from one area will not give us an overall picture of our garden plot’s quality---there can be variances within the same plot.
Amend the soil pH: Most vegetables like a pH level between 5.5 and 7.5; 7 is considered neutral on the pH scale. 7 is where most nutrients are readily available to the plants. If your pH varies from neutral, you will get a recommendation from the testing agency for adding either lime (to raise the alkalinity) or sulfur (to lower the acidity). The crops you intend to grow will determine what your soil’s pH should be, however, so we recommend you learn the pH preference of your intended plants, and adjust accordingly. You can find a great resource for determining the pH preference for a particular vegetable here:
As we reap the last of our harvests, we begin to focus on next year’s growing season. We contemplate our successes and failures this year, plan how we might expand or do things differently than we did, and we begin to look at our soil. Fall is the time to start amending the soil; you should strive to replace nutrients used by the plants the previous growing season. Here is our fall and winter gardening plans for our traditional gardens (our raised beds are mentioned in another blog entry).
Test the soil: we like to get a baseline to see how our soil compares to last fall, and what nutrients we most need to concentrate on replacing. It’s also nice to know where our pH levels are. In WV, we are able to test our soil for free with our Extension Agency. Basically, we obtain soil from several areas in the garden and combine the samples in a large bucket. From there, we mix the soil and pull our one sample for testing. We mix because just getting a soil sample from one area will not give us an overall picture of our garden plot’s quality---there can be variances within the same plot.
Amend the soil pH: Most vegetables like a pH level between 5.5 and 7.5; 7 is considered neutral on the pH scale. 7 is where most nutrients are readily available to the plants. If your pH varies from neutral, you will get a recommendation from the testing agency for adding either lime (to raise the alkalinity) or sulfur (to lower the acidity). The crops you intend to grow will determine what your soil’s pH should be, however, so we recommend you learn the pH preference of your intended plants, and adjust accordingly. You can find a great resource for determining the pH preference for a particular vegetable here:
Replace nutrients: If you find you need to add nutrients to your soil, you’ll have the choice of organic or inorganic. We are not fans of inorganic fertilizer, although we admit it works more quickly than organic. However, it does nothing for the soil in the long run, and in some cases actually damages the soil with its higher salt content. Furthermore, inorganic fertilizers don’t actually amend the soil, they simply feed the plant. Compare that to a person trying to survive on vitamin supplements and no substantial food. We recommend using organic fertilizers to obtain the balance between the three primary nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. You can use manure and fish emulsion for nitrogen, bone meal for phosphorus and wood ashes for potassium. If you’ve had your soil tested, you’ll know which of these you most need to add. If you have to also amend the texture of your soil as mentioned below, the necessary nutrients will be included in the organic material you use for that.
Dealing with clay soil: In our area, we basically have clay soil. It’s easier to just create raised beds for most of our farming needs; however, we do need larger spaces for crops such as potatoes and corn, so we have educated ourselves on how to deal with the difficult soil. Contrary to popular belief, clay is not a poor soil. In fact, it’s loaded with nutrients. The problem arises from the poor drainage and difficulty in plants’ abilities to access the nutrients; this stems from the nature of the soil---it’s compact, small particles hold water and are tightly joined. To remedy this, some people think to add sand; however, this is a recipe for concrete. Instead, the farmer needs to plow the clay soil and allow it to dry. This begins the loosening process, as it exposes the tightly bound damp soil particles to sunlight and air and encourages microbial activity. Next add the organic materials, which may include compost, aged manure, grass clippings, and shredded leaves, which not only improve the texture of clay soil but boost its nutritional content as well. These should be incorporated into at least the first top 10 inches of soil, creating a loose subsoil that is receptive to the tender new vegetable plant roots. We also plant a cover crop, which will be tilled under in the spring. We prefer oats, buckwheat and winter wheat---but rye, crimson clover, and hairy vetch are also effective. Amending clay soil does not happen quickly, but each year, your garden soil will improve in texture and you’ll continue to increase your productivity.
Below is a summary of commonly used organic materials for fertilizer and soil texture amendment:
· Compost: an excellent amendment (and if you have your own compost bin, it’s free).
· Manure: often available from local farms and stables. Be certain the manure is composted and decomposed until it turns dark, crumbly and odorless, as fresh manure has too much ammonia in it and can burn your plants. We recommend rabbit and goat manure.
· Peat moss: cheap and works well to loosen the soil; however, it’s very dusty, so be sure to wet it down prior to spreading.
· Grass clippings and autumn leaves (shredded/mulched is best): free, and will decompose slowly. Be sure whatever you put down is free of seed. A simple way to add the leaves to your garden is to mulch them with a lawn mower, then rake them and put them in large paper bags, and place them (bags and all) throughout your garden to decompose over the winter. In the spring, till what’s left of the leaves and bags into your soil.
· Cover crops (green manure): grown on unused soil with the intent of tilling them in in the spring and letting them decompose in the garden. The roots keep the soil loosened as they grow and the plants suppress weeds. Some cover crops from the legume family, like clover and vetch, also add nitrogen to the soil.
· Compost: an excellent amendment (and if you have your own compost bin, it’s free).
· Manure: often available from local farms and stables. Be certain the manure is composted and decomposed until it turns dark, crumbly and odorless, as fresh manure has too much ammonia in it and can burn your plants. We recommend rabbit and goat manure.
· Peat moss: cheap and works well to loosen the soil; however, it’s very dusty, so be sure to wet it down prior to spreading.
· Grass clippings and autumn leaves (shredded/mulched is best): free, and will decompose slowly. Be sure whatever you put down is free of seed. A simple way to add the leaves to your garden is to mulch them with a lawn mower, then rake them and put them in large paper bags, and place them (bags and all) throughout your garden to decompose over the winter. In the spring, till what’s left of the leaves and bags into your soil.
· Cover crops (green manure): grown on unused soil with the intent of tilling them in in the spring and letting them decompose in the garden. The roots keep the soil loosened as they grow and the plants suppress weeds. Some cover crops from the legume family, like clover and vetch, also add nitrogen to the soil.
In closing, adjusting you soils pH, fertility and texture to your plants’ liking is crucial in making good soil. All soil will benefit from the addition of organic matter, and it will be best for the quality of the garden and the environment in the long run. Clay soil can be amended to eventually create an exceptional growing medium for your plants. Now is the time to be sowing your cover crops that will be turned under in the spring.
Happy Gardening!