Great gardens start with great soil! Soil is a very important part of growing a healthy, bountiful garden. It is the foundation for plants, and needs to be fertile, well drained, and balanced to keep plants growing. Most good garden soils just don't happen, but are created and amended. Before you plant the garden there are a few things that can be checked to help create a great garden soil.

Do not work the garden soil until the soil is dry enough. If it is worked when it is too wet or still half frozen it will become compact which is not what you want. The soil should break down into fine particles. Check the soil for dryness by grabbing a handful of soil and squeeze it , if it forms a wet ball it is still too wet.

Soil texture, this is the make up of the soil and determines how the soil is able to hold moisture and how well a plant can grow. A simple way to test this is by taking a 15 cm core sample of soil and placing it in a clear 1 quart canning jar, filling it one third full. Add water until the jar is two thirds full and then add 5 ml of powdered dishwasher soap. Put the lid on the jar and shake it vigorously for three minutes making sure that there is no soil stuck in the bottom of the jar. Within the first 5 minutes you will begin to notice the different layers of soil separating, with the sand at the bottom of the jar, silt in the middle and clay on top.

• A soil with a high level of sand (two thirds) dries out more quickly and will need to be watered and fertilized more often as the moisture leaches through it more quickly.
• A soil that is made up of one third or more clay, holds its moisture but takes longer to dry out in the spring which results in a later start date.
• If all three layers are equal it shows that the soil balanced and is good for growing.

Leave the jar sitting overnight and the next morning check to see how cloudy the water is.

• Cloudy water is good, as it is an indicator as to how much organic matter is in the soil.
• If the water is clear, you may need to add organic matter such as broken down leaves, old manure, compost etc to your garden soil.

Drainage, is important. Soil should not be dry, or too wet, Test the soil’s drainage, by digging a hole 30 cm deep and 45-60 cm wide when the garden soil is moderately dry. Fill the hole with water and then time how long it takes for the water to drain from the hole.

• If the water drains out within the first 10-15 minutes it is fast draining and can be considered dry.
• When the water drains out in 15-30 minutes it is considered well drained, and this is what you want.
• Anything past 30 minutes would indicate slow drainage and
• if it takes more then 3-4 hours it is considered poor drainage or too wet.

Fast drying soil can be amended by adding organic matter to the soil that will hold the moisture. Poor drainage can be amended by adding sand to the soil and working it, to break the soil up.

Acidic or alkaline soil, is measured by pH units on a scale ranging from 0-14. The pH of the soil is an important part of growing healthy plants, as it effects how the plant receives its nutrients. Most plants grow best in a soil that has a pH of 6.5-7.0 A soils pH can be easily tested by doing a simple test using a pH soil test kit which are available at the garden centres.

• Limestone is nature’s soil sweetener and is used to raise a soils pH. It is available in prilled form making it much easier to apply.
• To lower the pH in soil, sulphur is used. It is important to follow the directions and to not to go over the recommendations as this can cause problems.

If the soils pH was good last year, it doesn't mean that it will be the same this year. It is a good idea to check the soils pH level every 1-2 years. 

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden Centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 West at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road