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Even seasoned gardeners can get frustrated when their harvests don't turn out the way they expected. No matter how much experience you have growing plants and flowers in raised garden beds there is always a chance that the soil will be less than optimal for your growing needs and without healthy soil your plants have little to no chance of growing properly. Good soil is essential to reaping a great garden and here are a few tips to help you prepare your garden soil for the growing season so you get the most out of your effort.
Test the Soil
If you had a bad crop last season and are looking for reasons why start with the soil. There's always a chance you got bad seeds or the climate was not right for the plants you chose but more often than not a bad crop is the result of poor soil. Before you set out to start planting try a pH soil test. A soil test will be able to indicate if there are any serious problems with the soil such as the presence of lead and heavy metals and when you know what the problems are you can begin to take the steps that will remedy the situation.
You can find affordable home garden soil testing kits that will alert you to pH problems including soil that is too acidic or too alkaline. Getting the balance right is important depending on the crops you are growing so accurately test your soil and figure out how much sulfur or lime you need to balance out pH soil.
Go Organic
Every gardener knows that adding organic matter to soil can only help. Organic matter adds nutrients to the soil and can lower the pH level. Organic matter such as compost also provides food for microorganisms that live in the soil. After the organic matter is digested it creates a glue-like matter that holds soil particles together and promotes good soil structure. Soil is the foundation for your garden and the healthier it is the better your garden will grow.
Avoid Chemicals
The phrase "better living through chemistry" didn't have gardening in mind. While there are many chemical fertilizers and pesticides on the market that promise to make your garden exceptional the fact is most of these products can be damaging to microorganisms in the garden. Trying to go for a quick fix with a chemical product may actually hurt your garden in the long run by harming the soil and this may lead to replacing the topsoil completely.
For more information about bettering your soil call Frostproof Growers Supply: 1-800-635-3621