Black fertile soil

How to Choose the Best Soil for Your Garden

A garden begins with the soil, where the right mix of nutrients and micro-organisms impacts the local ecosystem in a huge way. You may be wondering about the soil in your garden and whether it’s right for your plants. 

You can start by getting a kit to test the PH and mineral balance, then use that as your guide to getting your soil back into shape.

Next, you’ll need to choose the right soil for your needs. Here are some helpful tips to follow!

A community vegetable garden

Garden soil

This is a versatile type of soil that will add nutrients and minerals to your “undernourished” ground. It works great for flowers, herbs, fruits, vegetables, lawns, and basically any type of plant. It’s the perfect foundation to promote healthy soil and to get things up and running again! There are garden soils made to help soften clay or improve drainage if these are issues you need to address.

Organic mulch

When using mulch you want to be sure that it’s made from organic matter without any harmful chemicals that can leach into the ground. When used correctly, mulch is a helpful addition that offers many benefits. 

It will retain moisture so plants can drink up as they need without you having to water them frequently. Mulch also makes it more difficult for weeds to take root and grow. You can layer mulch around the bases of trees to cover roots for a more enhanced look. Best of all, when organic mulch breaks down over time, it becomes healthy plant food.

Small potted succulents

Organic fertilizers

If the ground in your backyard is in need of a major detox, then fertilizer will help to balance the PH and improve soil fertility significantly. Just be careful when choosing your fertilizer product. Once again, it’s best to go organic to avoid toxic chemicals that can further damage the ground and destroy more nutrients instead of help restore them.

Potting mix for container gardens

If you have raised beds or a container garden, then you’ll need potting soil made specifically for potted plants. This type of soil is different from the other varieties because it’s mixed with fibers that improve drainage, like perlite, coconut fibers, and rice hulls.

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