| Whether you're planting a whole new landscape bed, a single shrub, or a flat
of annuals, properly preparing the soil will help your plants grow faster,
stronger and healthier. You can begin as soon as soil is workable in spring.
(Quick test: when a handful of soil doesn't stick together in a glob.) Add organic materials to the soil
Organic matter breaks up clay soil, adds substance to sandy soil and provides
the porosity needed to encourage root systems. You can't have a healthy plant
without a good root system, and soil with proper porosity will:
Make more oxygen available to plants' roots
Reduce runoff compared to hard, crusty soil
Allow more water and nutrients to reach the roots
Encourage roots to spread out and develop into a sturdy underground
network
Add organic materials by spreading them over the top of a bed, then turning
or tilling them in. Or mix them with soil removed from planting holes before
backfilling around transplants.
Courtesy of Miracle-Gro-com
Learn how to make your own organic
compost.
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