Soil Improvement

SOIL IMPROVEMENT – The improvement of any soil, whether of garden or field, flower bed or farm land, may be required along either chemical or physical lines, or both. Chemically, a soil may lack one or more of the essential plant-food elements ; or it may be either too acid or too alkaline for the kind of plants that are being grown in it. Physically, soil may be too wet (calling for drainage) ; too dry (calling for irrigation to supplement the precipitation of the region) ; too loose and sandy (so that it needs more body or water-holding capacity), or too stiff and heavy (which means that both moisture and air percolate too slowly, making it uncongenial for the growing plants). The several operations that correct these undesirable conditions are the subjects of drainage; fertility; fertilizer; irrigation; manure; soil; etc.

In addition, of course, the various operations that constitute cultivation or tillage are highly important not only for keeping a soil in good condition, but also for putting it in proper condition in the first place. How true this is is indicated by the fact that the good old garden term Manure, synonymous with something to improve the soil, comes from the same word-root as Manual, Maneuver, or any similar word referring to “work by hand.”

The benefits to plant growth from commercial fertilizers, nitrate of soda, and other forcing plant foods applied to the soil last usually one season or less, and do not permanently enrich it. Hence, in conjunction with those materials soil-improvement methods should be used. These include: manuring, cover-cropping, deep plowing, and the addition of compost, humus, lime, bonemeal, and fertilizers that dissolve slowly so that their effects last more than one season.

Manure use to be added every year, not so much for the ammonia, phosphoric acid and other valuable nutritive ingredients it contains, as for the supply of organic matter. The difference between topsoil and subsoil which makes the former more fertile is mainly the presence there of decayed vegetable and animal substances, and the best means of improving most soils is by increasing the amount of such decayed vegetable matter. Where the soil is not to be turned over, as on lawns, or where only the surface will be cultivated, as in the border or around specimen trees, a top-dressing of manure should be applied in winter.

As often as possible, cover or green manure crops should be grown on all or part of the vegetable garden. Sown as early as possible, among corn and similar crops – even before they have stopped yielding, these vegetable manures are plowed or dug under in spring. The best are the legumes such as crimson clover and winter or hairy vetch. Rye will produce a greater quantity of green manure, and may be sown mixed with clover or vetch.

Deep plowing further improves the soil by increasing the depth of the topsoil. Better still is subsoil spading or trenching (which see) by which the organic materials can be worked in to a depth of 2 ft. or more.

All dead leaves, stalks, grass-clippings and green garbage should be rotted down for compost (which see) rather than burned; and this compost should be added to the soil when plowing or spading or used with manure for top-dressing.

If these natural methods build up soil too slowly, humus and leaf mold may he added in any quantity desired, as they are largely organic ; but if they are acid, lime must be used with them. For most garden crops, hydrated lime or ground limestone increases the effectiveness of manure and organic fertilizers. Other minerals, though ordinarily present, especially when subsoil is brought to the surface, may in time become depleted, requiring occasional additions of plant foods rich in potash, phosphorus, sulphur, etc.

When a bed or border is prepared, organic materials should be added and mixed thoroughly by deep digging especially if the bed is to be planted permanently, and for new lawns a soil as deep and rich as possible should be provided by the same means.

Related Articles Of Interest:

• Maintenance of the Garden
• Beet
• Vegetable Garden
• Bermuda Grass