The Importance of Soil Health

One of your most important gardening tasks all year will be to test your soil and make sure that it contains the right amount of nutrients to properly nourish your growing plants. Read on for more tips to help you determine whether your soil needs additional help.

The two most important components in soil are texture and fertility. Fertility refers to the pH and essential elements that must be present in order for the soil to be nutritious. The size of the soil particles and their cohesiveness refers to the texture of the soil.

There are three primary nutrients that must be present in your soil. These are potassium, phosphorous and nitrogen. You may already know that nitrogen carries the responsibility of stem and leaf growth. The nitrogen becomes affixed to bacteria and is then converted into nitrogen nitrates, which is what is available to plants to promote healthy growth. The important thing to know about nitrogen is that it does not remain for very long in the soil. It becomes used up by the plants as well as any other matter that may decay in the soil. Because of the fact that it is water soluble, it can also be washed away. So, it’s important to have a sufficient amount of nitrogen but at the same time you don’t want to have an excess amount of nitrogen because this can actually cause damage to your foliage.

When it comes to phosphorus you should know that this is necessary for root growth. Bone meal is a good amendment to your plants if you have fall bulbs. This will also help flower production; which is why you often see flower boosters labeled with high phosphorous contents.
Potassium is necessary for the overall health of your plants. It keeps your plants from becoming stunted and will actually improve their immune systems. Because it is water soluble like nitrogen you need to add some in occasionally.

In addition to these three primary elements, your soil also need trace elements to keep your plants growing and healthy. These trace elements include magnesium, calcium, zinc and molybdenum.

pH measures the acidity of your soil or also the alkalinity. The scale starts out at 1.0 and goes up to 14.0 7.0 is considered neutral. Lower numbers mean greater acidity. Higher numbers reflect greater alkalinity. Nutrients can only be available to the plants in the soil when the pH is at a certain range. Some plants like different pH levels but most do well with a low to neutral range; usually around 6.5. To be sure of your soil’s pH level, you must take the time to have it tested. You will need to do this on occasion, usually once a year because even after you amend it the soil can and will revert back to its old level.

Finally, be aware that soil texture can be quite different. For example, soil that is very sandy will have larger particles while soil that is mostly clay will have small particles that pack together. It is important to understand this because it can affect how much your plants move around in the soil as well as how much room is available for the roots to extend in addition to air and water. Be aware that if you have soil that is too much one or the other you should not try to amend it yourself by simply adding clay, etc. Instead, opt for a commercial soil texture amendment solution.

 
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