Ya’ know what makes me happy?
Dirt.
I’m not talkin’ about crappy dirt on the side of the road, I’m talkin’ about real, dark, rich and moist dirt. The kind you can dig your fingers into. The kind that when you kneel on it, feels soft and squishy. Know what I’m talkin’ about?
Well, if you don’t know what I’m talkin’ about, or you’ve never experienced fabulous dirt, then you’ve come to the right place. Today, I’m going to show you how to get SUPERPOWERED garden soil. The kind that makes it impossible for you to fail at gardening.
Know that brown thumb you’re always complainin’ about? No more, my little grasshopper!
Determining your Soil’s Superpower Capabilities
The first thing you must do is find out what kind of soil you have to work with.
Is it sandy? Is it clay? Is it silt?
Here’s how you find out:
I’ll wait here while you determine your soil type.
*Cue elevator music for 24 hours*
Now that you’ve figured out what type of soil you have, let’s go over what all that means:
Sandy soil is easily penetrated by oxygen and water. But because of the large particles, it allows it to drain too quickly, taking away water and your precious organic fertilizer.
Clay soil is opposite of our sandy soil. It’s particles are too small, which won’t let oxygen and water in very well. While it usually has more nutrients, it holds water in too long, which can create a buildup of salt deposits that cause your plants to die.
Silt is a perfect combination of particles, allowing for proper watering and proper draining. Goldilocks would probably prefer it because it’s “just right”. Although, if I can give you some advice, don’t tell Goldilocks about your garden. That girl is a rotten little thief.
Getting your Garden Soil “Just Right”
You may think if your soil is Sandy it’s best to just add Clay soil, and vice versa. But actually this doesn’t work well at all. The layers don’t mix well and after some watering, you’ll have the layers separate again (just like in your test jar).
To turn your Clay soil into SUPERPOWERED Soil, add…
- Cocopeat, Sphagnum Moss, or Gypsum. Each of these would work well for loosening up your clay soil and allowing for oxygen and water to get through. Work in about 1 cubic foot bag for about every 10 sqare feet of garden space. Gypsum is the cheapest option, at only about $2-3 a bag (more for bigger bags, like the ones you can buy online). Even if you can’t afford to meet the recommendations, just remember that anything is better than nothing.
- Organic material is a MUST for gardening. Not only does it feed your plants with necessary nitrogen, it also provides food the microorganisms in the dirt. The absolute BEST organic material comes easily and is usually free. Yes, folks, I’m talking about POOP. WELL-AGED and COMPOSTED chicken, goat, sheep, horse and cow manure are all great providers of natural nitrogen and supply plenty of organisms as well. BONUS points if you can score poop from an animal who has been fed organic feed/grass. Well-aged manure is a must. Fresh manure has too high levels of nitrogen, which will chemically BURN up your garden, even if it’s cool outside. It will take a couple months for fresh poop to be able to break down enough to not cause harm to your garden. After that, you can add about 6 inches on top and till it in well.
- Tilling can be done by shovel, but I’d recommend renting a tiller for a couple hours. It should cost you only about $30-40, and it’s well worth the cost in my opinion.
To turn your Sandy soil into SUPERPOWERED Soil, add…
- Make a 3 to 1 mixture of Peat and Vermiculite. Add about 2 inches to your garden, and till in well.
- Add about another 4 inches organic material (compost or manure).
If your soil is Silt… congratulations! You have the soil that everybody is jealous of! At this point you can simply add some organic material. Lay about 3 inches on top, then till it in well.
Avoiding Newbie Mistakes
- Don’t add a lot of high-carbon material (straw, leaves, wood chips and sawdust). The microorganisms will eat too much nitrogen and in the end they will starve your plants of it.
- Never till while wet. It will destroy the structure of the garden and compact it harder when it dries.
- Rototilling the soil is a must. If you just drop it on top, you are inevitably causing an layer that will cause slow drainage.
What about Lasagna Gardening?
Lasagna gardening is definitely a good option for those who want to try raised beds to garden in or plan on having a series of smaller gardens. If you’re looking to avoid back labor, setting up a lasagna garden isn’t totally labor-free. If you can set up a lasagna garden ahead of time, a PRO is you can produce some amazing soil. You can read more about lasagna gardening here at my friend Courtney’s blog.
One CON with lasagna gardening is because they break down slowly, you may have an increase in pests, particularly slugs. Also, if you have particularly sandy soil, you may find that because your foundation is sandy, your garden will wash away in heavy rains.
The final KEY to getting SUPERPOWERED Soil!
One of the most important things you must remember about gardening and soil, is that in order to have rich, green, vibrant plants, you must have vibrant and alive soil. Don’t forget about those microorganisms in the soil. If you are watering your garden with chlorinated, sterilized water, you’ll stamp out those precious microorganisms.
Don’t worry, I’m not telling you to dig a well and draw water everyday for your garden. All you need is a water filter. Since my water IS chlorinated, I simply added a garden hose filter to my watering system and that’s it!
So, are you ready to get your give your soil SUPERPOWERS? It’s time to create a stellar garden!
Thank you for a good idea
Hi,
I have sandy soil, so if I wanted to plant something in a pot, could I just add half native soil and half regular ol’ potting soil from the store, + organic material like worm castings? Or should I just forgo the potting soil and find some other type of compost? (also where I live, it’s very humid).
Hi Lea-
The potting soil mixed with the native soil and organic material will work just fine for your potted plants. Best of luck and Happy Planting! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Thanks for this interesting info.
Thanks for the info on determining soil type. I’m pretty sure my soil has a higher clay content but I’m going to check it just because I think the test will be fun. I have lots of rocks in my soil as well as clay. After I have turn the soil over and watered the ground turns into a brick. I’m not sure what else to do other than to continue adding organic matter and maybe some gypsum.
Go to raised beds add new soil. Depending on budget will save you cash of you have to pay for your organic amendments.
I have a flower bed right beneath my window that has nothing but weeds and grass in it. This year, I’m determined to get something in there that I want to look at. I have morning sun, and afternoon shade. It’s longer than it is wide, and I was wondering if there was a way to till the soil besides by hand.
I agree with some of the people that mentioned about the soil test. It’s important to know what’s in your soil and what it lacks. I remember when I first decided to improve the garden in my soil without testing it first. I mixed it with all sorts of “useful” things and eagerly planted my greens. I thought they’d grow strong and healthy, but they wilted and died soon after that. My soil improving backfired and my gardening was a total failure. Thanks to that I learned about soil tests and the different types of soil.
Anyways, you’ve got pretty good advice there. The way to determine the soil type is interesting and a nice trick to know. I’ve definitely learned new things thanks to your article.
The bug mixture you posted can I spray that solution around the plants? I have cats coming in my garden helping themselves with littering.. I want to spray something that will not hurt my plants. Your input is surely appreciated
I have soil that does not hold water…..I mean the water just runs off the top, it doesn’t soak into it? I have mixed ground coffee beans, compost ( old leaves) but nothing seems to help, when I water I have to dig the soil over for the water to do down ????? Please help, what can I do??/
Coffee grounds repel water.
Not completely true, coffee grounds when applied too heavy will pack together and form a barrier against water. Leaves can do the same thing. Just make sure the grounds are mixed in with soil.
Hi Brenda, I would suggest adding a clay amendment to the soil to help hold in moisture. Also, be SURE to mulch on top so you can help insulate the soil.
Wow. This post was epic. I have always been clueless about our soil.
great article! Thanks for the info. I look forward to getting your newsletter. Oh – the title is AWESOME
please sign me up for newsletter. would like a link to save this soil article.
thanks
tom
I really would like to know what a good bug repellent is. I have used peppermint oil, and tea tree oil. Neither made a dent. TY.
I’ve got the perfect recipe for you! https://www.weedemandreap.com/natural-garden-pest-control/
Help! We tilled years and years ago before we planted anything – added mostly mushroom compost and peat. Now the problem is that our soil is clay and every square inch of our year is planted – mostly woodland scape and shade plantings. How do we add if we cannot till? Thank you.
I would recommend trying raised garden boxes. The benefit is that you can ‘create’ your own soil combination to make planting easier:)
Wow ,this is the most thing i wanted to know…all about kind of soil fitted for my gardening passion where soil at my backyard something clayee…:( thanks for the tips !
Looking forward for more gardening tips from you ,God Bless!!!
Peat moss is antimicrobial. It will work against you when it comes to building up the good stuff in your soil. I just learned this myself recently. 🙂
Mindy – you might be confusing the ability of peat moss to prevent diseases such as damping-off as being “antimicrobial”? Actually peat moss is a very good medium for supporting the growth of mycorrhizae especially when combined with native mineral soils. This would build your soil!
One thing this recipe does not address is soil minerals. These are the essential micro-nutrients that should be part of the soil, but are often deficient. This includes among others – calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper and zinc. These are the building blocks of healthier plants which in turn produce healthier vegetables – nutritionally speaking.
For more information visit sites that refer to Rock dust or carbonatite.
This is helpful! Thanks!
This is so true. Many folks wonder why the bottoms of their tomatoes are turning brown. Minerals are extremely important.
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Hey check out the Back to Eden method as well, it really works!
Hi I just want to caution against using peat unless absolutely necessary because harvesting peat moss is environmentally damaging and also the peat moss itself is acidic. In its natural habitat peat moss builds up enormous carbon reserves that help keep CO2 out of the atmosphere. Also its acidic nature makes it a poor choice of amendment in acidic soils or when the plants you are trying to grow favor neutral to alkaline pH levels.
Also, in case you haven’t heard, biochar also makes a great soil amendment! I say this as a soil scientist and researcher of biochar. Find out more at https://www.biochar-international.org.
That’s interesting. Thanks for the heads up!
Don’t forget to add lime if needed.
i read somewhere long ago that peat is now being grown for commercial purposes. I may be wrong, but practices in obtaining it might have changed a bit.
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This is a pretty good time table for till vs no-till. For great soil, especially for areas like ours I think moderation is the key.
https://urban-homesteading.org/to-till-or-not-to-till/
Wow. This post was epic. I have always been clueless about our soil. We tried lasagna gardening, but I wish we would have known these tips beforehand… I’ve got to pin this for when we get our garden started up again. Thanks for all the info. 🙂
I wouldn’t recommend hardly any of this without first getting a GOOD soil test first. Following these recipes without understanding what you already have in abundance, or are lacking in. Following these recommendations without this information would if your lucky, give you supercharged soil, for many it may not make much difference, and for others could make things worse.
Newbie mistake:
Adding anything to your soil without first obtaining a qualifying soil test.