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UC Master Gardeners of Monterey & Santa Cruz Counties

Compost & Soil Preparation

Good gardeners grow good soil. It's the soil that grows the garden. 

 

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Beads of water on a green leaf, Canva image
UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: Page

Watering Hydrophobic Soil

Many potting soils become hydrophobictending to repel waterwhen they dry out, and are difficult to re-wet. Gardeners may see water draining out the bottom of a pot and assume that means that the soil is saturated.
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Hands in Soil
UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

How To Evaluate Soil

Soils vary greatly from one place to another, even in your own garden. No matter how much work you do in your garden, all may be in vain if the quality of your soil is poor. Listed below are some things you can do to get to know your soil.
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Banner Compost B
UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Compost Troubleshooting

Use this table to turn around problems you may be encountering with your composting system.
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Vegetables
Healthy Soils for a Healthy California: Page

Home & Garden

A collection of tips and informant to improve your home garden's soil.
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Hands in Soil
UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

What Is Healthy Soil

Earthworms are an excellent indicator of healthy soil. Photo, Sippakorn Yamkasikorn, Pexels Dirt and soil are NOT the same thing. Dirt is a lifeless mixture of minerals, air, and water.
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Banner compost
UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Compost Systems

The real work of composting is done by a variety of underground inhabitants including earthworms, sowbugs, bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms. Some you can see, but most you cannot.
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UC Master Gardeners of Central Sierra: Page

Central Sierra | Master Gardeners | February Gardening Tips

Above 2000 ft. : prune deciduous fruit trees, cane berries Below 2000 ft.: prune grapes, roses, crepe myrtle. Paint trunks of bare root and young fruit trees to prevent borers and protect from sunburn. Use interior white latex paint with equal amounts of water and apply generously.
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Hands in Soil
UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

How to Keep Your Soil Healthy

Once youve got healthy soil, keeping it that way is mostly about maintaining a desirable environment for the many creatures that live there. Here are some of the ways to keep your soil healthy. Allow leaves to decompose in the garden.
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Hands in Soil
UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Avoid Disturbing Your Soil

Natures no-till way relies on leaving the soil alone and nourishing it by the continual addition of new layers of dying and dead plant matter.
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Hands in Soil
UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Soil

Photo: Lukas, Pexals Soil is a naturally occurring mixture of inorganic and organic ingredients with a definite form, structure, and composition, that varies from one location to another.
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