Improve Your Soil

Steer Manure

Steer manure is a very good soil amendment because it contains large amounts of organic matter, so it feeds and builds the soil while it nourishes the plants, unlike synthetic fertilizers. This is one of the primary ways that organic fertilizers have a leg-up on chemical ones.  Still, many gardeners can't resist comparing the numerical amounts listed below with what they read on packages of synthetic fertilizers. Unfortunately, the values of manure and organic fertilizers in general, are often based on the relative amount of nitrogen (N), phosphoric acid (P) and potash (K) they contain. While these are important elements, "it is misleading to make a direct comparison between farm manures and chemical fertilizers on the basis of the relative amounts of N-P-K.  Steer Manure is an all-natural product, used for top dressing seedlings or for mulching around trees.

Sphagnum Peat Moss

Canadian sphagnum peat moss is a natural, organic soil conditioner that regulates moisture and air around plant roots for ideal growing conditions. It will help to save water (Peat retains up to 20 times its weight in moisture, and releases water slowly as plants need it), aerate heavy, clay soil (Peat moss allows for proper root growth by loosening and   aerating soils), bind sandy soil (by adding body to sandy soil, Canadian peat helps it retain moisture and nutrients), reduce leaching (Peat moss reduces leaching of nutrients in or added to the soil, releasing them over time.

This will save on fertilizer), protect soil (Peat moss protects soil from hardening and adds organic material), and make better compost (Peat moss speeds the composting process, reduces odors and controls air and water in the compost pile).

Peat moss decomposes slowly over several years compared to compost which typically decomposes within one year. It has a reliable pH (3.4 to 4.8); is environmentally friendly and free of insects, weeds, seeds, salts and chemicals, and represents good value (bale compression means you get approximately two bales in one!). It's the ideal growing medium for your gardening needs.  Every gardener dreams of a garden bursting with succulent vegetables and glowing with color spring through fall. To cut down on the tending, watering and feeding necessary to make that dream a reality, "garden from the ground up" and properly prepare the soil.

Peat moss aerates plant roots by loosening heavy clay soil and adds body to sandy soil.  It also saves water by absorbing and holding moisture.  Peat moss reduces leaching (or runoff of nutrients) present in or added to the soil, releasing them over time.

Your checklist for creating new garden beds

After outlining the area for the new garden bed with string or a garden hose:

·        Cut away the sod, saving it for lawn patches or the compost bin.

·        Dig or rototill two inches of peat moss into the top six or eight inches of soil.

·        Consider adding complementary organic matter, such as compost, for nutrients.

·        Add bedding plants or seeds.

Water lightly over a one to two week period.

Amending existing beds

Unless you are planting a large area, hand dig peat moss into existing flower or vegetable beds. Be careful not to disturb plant roots. Dig one-inch of peat moss into the top six inches of soil to condition the area for existing plants or new transplants.

Mulches

Mulching is one of the simplest and most beneficial things you can do for your home garden. And it needn't be expensive -- many of the best mulching materials can be found in your own back yard.  Mulch is simply a protective layer of a material that is spread on top of the soil. Mulches can either be organic--such as grass clippings, straw, bark chips, and similar materials--or inorganic--such as stones, brick chips, and plastic. Both organic and inorganic mulches have numerous benefits.

Mulch materials

Lawn clippings make excellent mulch. While not particularly attractive for a flower bed, they work wonderfully in the vegetable garden. The fine texture allows them to be spread easily even around small plants.

Leaves are another readily available material to use as mulch. Leaf mold, or the decomposed remains of leaves, gives the forest floor its absorbent spongy structure. Compost makes a wonderful mulch if you have a large supply. Compost not only improves the soil structure but provides an excellent source of plant nutrients.

Bark chips are available at garden centers. These make a neat finish to the garden bed and will eventually improve the condition of the soil. These may last for one to three years or more depending on the size of the chips or how well composed the bark mulch is. Smaller chips tend to be easier to spread, especially around small plants.

Depending on where you live, numerous other materials make excellent mulches. Hay and straw work well in the vegetable garden, although they may harbor weed seeds. Seaweed mulch, ground corn cobs, and pine needles can also be used. Pine needles tend to increase the acidity of the soil so they work best around acid-loving plants such as rhododendrons and blueberries.

When to apply mulch

Time of application depends on what you hope to achieve by mulching. Mulches, by providing an insulating barrier between the soil and the air, moderate the soil temperature. This means that a mulched soil in the summer will be cooler than an adjacent unmulched soil; while in the winter, the mulched soil may not freeze as deeply. However, since mulch acts as an insulating layer, mulched soils tend to warm up more slowly in the spring and cool down more slowly in the fall than unmulched soils.

If you are using mulches in your vegetable garden or flower garden, it is best to apply them after the soil has warmed up in the spring. Cool, wet soils tend to slow seed germination and increase the decay of seeds and seedlings.  If adding additional layers of mulch to existing perennial beds, wait until the soil has warmed completely.  Mulches used to help moderate winter temperatures can be applied late in the fall after the ground has frozen but before the coldest temperatures arrive. Applying mulches before the ground has frozen may attract rodents looking for a warm over-wintering site. Delayed applications of mulch should prevent this problem as, hopefully, the creatures would already have found some other place to nest!

Mulches used to protect plants over winter should be loose material such as straw, hay, or pine boughs that will help insulate the plants without compacting under the weight of snow and ice. One of the benefits from winter applications of mulch is the reduction in the freezing and thawing of the soil in the late winter and early spring. These repeated cycles of freezing at night and then thawing in the warmth of the sun will cause many small or shallow rooted plants to be heaved out of the soil. This leaves their root systems exposed and results in injury or death. Mulching helps prevent the rapid fluctuations in soil temperature and reduces the chances of heaving.

Bark Mulch (2-4 inches) Smaller chips are easier to spread, especially around small plants.  Excellent for use around trees, shrubs, and perennial gardens. When spreading mulch around trees, keep the mulch an inch or two away from the trunk.  A couple inches of mulch is adequate. There is no need to apply the mulch 6 or 8 inches high, as often is seen.

Wood Chips (2-4 inches) Similar to bark mulch.  If using fresh wood chips that are mixed with a lot of leaves, composting may be beneficial.

Leaves (3-4 inches) Best to chop and compost before spreading.  If using dry leaves, apply about 6 inches.

Grass Clippings (2-3 inches) Thicker layers tend to compact and rot, becoming quite slimy and smelly. Add additional layers as clippings decompose. Do not use clippings from lawns treated with herbicides.

Newspaper (1/4 inch) Apply sheets of newspaper and cover lightly with grass clippings or other mulch material to anchor. If other mulch materials are not available, cover edges of paper with soil. Applying on a windy day can be a problem.

Compost (3-4 inches) Excellent material for enriching soil.

Bark mulch and wood chips are sometimes used with landscape fabric or plastic. The fabric or plastic is laid on top of the soil and then covered with a layer of bark chips. A caution to this practice: while initially the plastic or fabric may provide additional protection against weeds, as the mulch breaks down, weeds will start to grow in the mulch itself. The barrier between the soil and the mulch also prevents any improvement in the soil condition and makes planting additional plants more difficult.