When it comes to landscape design, there are a few things that the average home gardener sometimes forgets about. The most important of these is undoubtedly soil improvement. The best time to improve your soil is when you are landscaping and redesigning your garden. Although it can seem like a waste of time and money, it is extremely important to make sure that you put the effort in to make sure that you are planting your new garden in rich, fertile soil.
After building, soils are often sandy and poor:
If you have built a new house, then you may be tempted to simply design your yard and plant your garden around the soil which is already there – don’t be. The dirt used for housepads is usually very sandy and nutrient poor, which means that there is little to sustain your plants. Add to this the fact that builders rubble is often full of rocks, rubbish, and chemical, and you have plenty of reason to replace it with decent soil.
The easiest time to improve your soil is while landscaping:
Once you have established that you need to improve your soil – in some way shape or form – then you will realise that the best time to do it is when you are redeveloping your garden. This is always the easiest time to remove old, poor quality soil and replace it with better quality, more fertile soil.
Your garden will thank you:
If you are willing to spend the money on landscaping to make your yard and garden look great, then you should do things properly. Don’t waste your time remodeling your garden, only to plant things in poor quality, infertile soil. This would be stupid.
It will save you time and money in the long run:
Sure, it might cost you a bit extra to improve your soil while you are landscaping, but it will be worth it in the long run. Poor quality soils will mean that your garden requires a lot of maintenance, and this will take time. You will need to use a lot of fertilisers to keep your plants healthy, and water will probably be a problem during the drier months. Save your time and money and do things right the first time.
So, how should you improve your soil?
When it comes to actually improving your soil, there are a lot of things that you can do, depending on what you have to work with. The following tips should help you get started:
- First, remove any rocks, tree roots, and old builders rubble. Dispose of this, and buy some new soil to fill the gaps.
- If you have sandy or clay soil, then you will need to add a lot of organic matter. Things like pig manure and mulch are a great choice, and they will help you build your soil up.
- You should also try and incorporate a long term, slow release mineral fertiliser into the soil, as this will help your plants stay healthier, for longer. A wetting agent may be needed for water repellent soils.
As you can see, improving your soil really isn’t that hard. If you are having trouble, then speak to your local landscape architect for more information and expert advice. Good luck and have fun!
