Soils And Compost

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.

Credit: UC ANR A soil amendment is any material added to soil to improve its physical properties, such as water retention, permeability, drainage, aeration, and structure. They can also be used to modify soil pH. There are lots of different materials available you can use to improve your soil.

George Becker, Pexels Unhealthy soil causes poor plant performance. Correct soil deficiencies in your garden before you plant.

Is your garden soil not quite what you want it to be? Need to make some improvements? Soil amendments may be a solution. Before making any additions or changes to your soil, its good to know what soil amendments are and how they may work in your soil.

A collection of tips and informant to improve your home garden's soil.

Compost benefits the garden as well as the environment. Photo: Pixabay.com The process of composting is good for your garden and for the environment. Home composting allows gardeners to recycle organic material while conserving landfill space and reducing reliance on fossil fuel.

Compost is multi-purpose. It can be used as mulch, topdressing, soil amendment, or as an organic fertilizer. Adding compost to the garden is one of the best ways to improve soil and support plant health.

Use this table to turn around problems you may be encountering with your composting system.

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.

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.