Introduction: Hi Gardeners today we learn preparing soil for vegetable garden. Your vegetable garden soil supports vegetable plants by providing warmth, air, moisture, and nutrients. Healthy soil is the basis of healthy plants and an environment. When garden soil is in good shape there is less require for fertilizers or pesticides.
If you want to grow your vegetables, the garden needs to have the proper type of soil to provide nutrients to your plants. Luckily, there are easy ways that you can prepare the soil to obtain the best yield throughout the growing season. Start by testing the soil in your garden, then use organic materials and fertilizers to adjust the pH range and drainage.
Garden soil properties for vegetables include;
- Soil particles, which are mineral materials broken down into some particles smaller than pebbles.
- Organic matter and humus, this includes formerly living creatures mostly plants in various stages of decomposition.
- Only half of the soil is solid particles, the rest is a mixture of air and water.
- Air space in the soil allows oxygen and carbon dioxide to move in and out of the soil, which allows vegetable plant roots to grow. Encouraging worms is a great way to maintain your soil healthy as they will aerate the soil.
- Water is necessary for vegetable plants to grow. If your garden soil is too wet is can be harmful to the soil and plant growth. Water saturated soil prevents the oxygen from getting to the plant roots. When the soil has the right quantity of moisture, the water will encase the soil particles and dissolve them. This procedure allows nutrients to be absorbed by the plant roots through the water.
- Healthy soil has a balance of soil particles, organic humus, water, and excellent air circulation. All this allows the plant roots to absorb the nutrients required to grow well and produce healthy fruit, pods, and leaves.
What are we waiting for? let us jump into preparing soil for vegetable garden.
Types of soil
There are three main types of soil for a vegetable garden;
Soil type can determine which vegetables produce best for you. Knowing your garden soil type enables you to overcome problems since you can prepare the ground accordingly. Both the texture and pH level of the soil is worth knowing and these can vary throughout your garden or plot.
The best soil for most vegetable plants to ensure optimum growth is a rich, sandy loam. This garden soil is an even mixture of all three main types of soil are sand, silt, and clay.
These garden soil types refer to the size of the majority of the mineral elements making up the soil. Sand is the largest and clay, microscopic, and is the smallest.
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Loamy soils have a good body and normally good moisture retention and drainage capacity. Both are extremely very important. The main cause of plant failure in a vegetable garden is bad water management. Either the plant dries out, causing the tiny hair-like root extensions to die, or these hair-like feeder roots are drowned by soil which fails to drain accurately. In either case, this causes the main stress to the plant. A garden soil that allows a plant to remain moist rather than dry or wet produces optimal growth.
Soil is the foundation of a healthy garden, and the healthy microorganisms in the soil aid the plants in obtaining their nutrients, healthy soil is necessary to a vegetable gardener. It is a pretty good rule of thumb that no matter which of the soil types you have when you start a vegetable garden, there is lots of room for improvement, and improvement is not difficult to accomplish. It is also true that the longer you garden in one place and take care of the garden soil, the healthier the soil, and thus the garden will become. Vegetable gardens do best in loose loamy soil with lots of organic matter and a slightly acidic pH level.
Different Plants for Different Soils
Soil is normally described by the amount of sand, clay, and silt it contains. This is called texture. Soil texture is mainly related to nutrient quality and drainage capabilities.
Loam Soil
A loam soil mainly contains a nice balance of silt, sand, and clay along with hummus. Loamy soil, a moderately even mix of sand, silt, and clay, feels fine-textured and slightly damp. It has ideal characteristics for vegetable gardening, lawns, and shrubs. Loamy soil has great structure, sufficient drainage, full of nutrients, simply cultivated and it warms up quickly in spring however doesn’t dry out quickly in summer. Loamy soils need replenishing with organic matter regularly and tend to be acidic.
Sandy Soil
Sandy soil is the largest particle in soil and does not hold nutrients well. Sandy soils contain large particles and gaps between them. This allows water and nutrients to drain away freely and making sandy soils less fertile than heavier soils. Sandy soils tend to dry out in the summer but they warm up quickly in spring (allowing seedlings a good start) and they are easier to dig than clay-based soils. If your soil is sandy, you must have no trouble growing root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips, but you may struggle with nutrient-hungry brassicas such as cabbages and broccoli. Vegetable plants with shallow roots are prone to drying out as sandy soils lose moisture faster than heavier soils.
Clay Soil
Soils with a large quantity of clay are heavy and do not drain well. Clay soil is poor at draining and has few air spaces and if the drainage for the soil is enhanced, then plants will develop and grow well as clay soil can be rich in nutrients.
Silt Soil
Silty soil is powdery with very high fertility. Unfortunately, soils that are high in silt can become waterlogged easily. Silty soil feels soft and soapy, it holds moisture, is usually rich in nutrients. This soil is easily cultivated and can be compacted with little effort. This is a great soil for your vegetable garden if drainage is provided and managed. Mixing in composted organic matter is usually required to improve drainage and structure while adding nutrients.
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Simple tests to determine your soil type
The water test – Pour water onto your garden soil. If it drains quickly it is likely to be a sandy or gravelly soil, on clay soils the water will get longer to sink in.
Squeeze test – Grab a handful of soil and softly compress it in your fist and if the soil is sticky and slick to the touch and remains intact and in the same shape when you let go it will be clay soil. If the soil is spongy it’s peaty soil; sandy soil will feel gritty and crumble apart. Loamy soils and silty soils will feel smooth textured and hold their shape for a short period.
Settle test – Add a handful of soil to a transparent container, add water, shake well and then leave to settle for about 12 hours. Clay and silty soils will leave cloudy water with a layer of particles at the bottom. Sandy soils will leave the water generally clear and most of the particles will fall, forming a layer on the base of the container. Peaty soils will see several particles floating on the surface; the water will be slightly cloudy with a thin layer at the bottom. Chalky soils will leave a layer of whitish, grit-like fragments on the bottom of the pot or container and the water will be a shade of pale grey. If the water is quite clear with layered particles on the bottom of the pot with the finest particle at the top this soil is likely to be a loamy one.
Acid test – The standard pH level for soils usually ranges between 4.0 and 8.5. Plants favor soil which has a pH level between 6.5 and 7 because this is the level where nutrients and minerals naturally thrive. You can buy a pH test kit, or from a local garden center. As a general rule, in places with soft water, you will have acid soil and hard water areas will tend to have alkaline soil.
Soil test kit – Use a soil test kit to assess primary nutrients (N-P-K) with pH levels. By testing garden soil, you determine its exact condition so you can fertilize more effectively. The soil must be tested periodically throughout the growing season.Â
Importance of a soil test for preparing soil for vegetable garden
Growing vegetables need nutrients to develop properly. While many of these nutrients come from fertilizer or compost that you add after planting, the roots absorb nutrients, and as well as water and oxygen.
Root absorption is the key to feeding and watering the vegetable garden. Soil conditions should be appropriate for a good root system to develop. A soil test lets you know which vitamins and nutrients are present in the existing soil. This includes the main nutrients and micro-nutrients, all of which are important to the growth of your crops.
Planting a vegetable garden without first testing the soil is like driving a vehicle while wearing a blindfold. The results of your test advise which amendments you should add to get the soil ready for the optimum growth of your crops.
Your soil test could indicate the necessity of growing your garden in a different location. Should your sample find contamination with heavy metals, you should not produce food in the area.
Importance of preparing soil for vegetable garden
Crop quality greatly depends on garden soil composition. The ideal soil is balanced, well-drained, and fertile and with a pH level (acidity level) situated between 6 and 7. Adding lime corrects the pH level for soil that is too acidic (soil analysis required). Sandy soil is too barren in organic matter, and clay soil is heavy and compact. It is very important to add decomposed manure or compost, as well as improving soil structure and composition will supply nutritive elements required by the vegetable plants.
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Preparing soil for a vegetable garden
Before you plant any vegetables, prepare garden beds by digging the soil and adding organic compost at least 1-2 weeks before you start planting. Most vegetables need 15-20 centimeters of good soil for their roots to grow. If you’re planning to produce crops with deeper roots, like potatoes or carrots, dig and compost deeper – up to 30 centimeters. Water in the compost and let it break down before you plant vegetables. To get the most out of your vegetable garden, select vegetables that you will use and plant them at the right time of year.
Turn the garden soil over in the fall (about 20 cm deep), to even and lighten it and get rid of the rocks, roots, and weeds. And cover with a thin coat of well-decomposed manure or compost.
Hoe the top 3 or 4 centimeters of garden soil early in the spring to lighten the surface layer and to blend it with organic matter spread the previous fall. Remove harmful weeds also. It is recommended not to work the soil when it is wet while the resulting compacting will harm soil quality. Adding biological-type fertilizers based on seaweed, bone meal or other organic products is recommended to create good crops.Â
Best soil for vegetables
The best soil for a vegetable garden mainly depends on the type of garden you have. For a raised bed garden you will want a 50/50 ratio of compost and topsoil. For a field garden, you require soil that drains well. Clay soil will require to be amended to ensure the water drains properly. You can amend using also gypsum, vermiculite or expanded shale.
The essential nutrient levels are relative to the soil type and the crop being grown. While different vegetable plants have varying requirements, the soil test institution calculates an optimum average for fertilizer and lime recommendations.
The results of the soil test will indicate the pH level (acid-alkaline balance) of the soil as well as the nitrogen content, phosphorus content, and potassium content. The pH level is measured on a scale of 1 (most acid or sour) to 14 (most alkaline or sweet), with 7 representing neutral. Most vegetable plants generate best in a soil that has a pH between 5.5 and 7.5. The pH number is very important because it affects the availability of most of the essential nutrients in the soil. The soil lab will consider the type of soil you have, the pH, and the crops you intend to produce and make a recommendation for pH adjustment.
Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) levels will be mainly indicated by a “Low,” “Medium,” or “High” level. High is the preferred level for vegetable gardens for both nutrients. If your test results show other than High, a recommendation of type and quantity of fertilizer will be made.
Although nitrogen (N) is needed in large amounts by plants, the soil nitrates level is not usually routinely tested because rainfall leaches nitrates from the soil, which easily results in low levels. Additional nitrogen through the use of a complete fertilizer is always recommended.
Soil pH importance for preparing soil for vegetable garden
Soil pH level is a measure of the soil’s acidity or alkalinity. Knowing the pH of soil helps to determine which vegetables to plant.
Alkaline soil has a pH level of around 8.5 whilst the pH of neutral soil is 7. Most plants produce best in soil with a pH of between 6.5 and 6.8. You can identify the soil’s pH level using a testing kit. These can vary from a cheap soil pH meter, which is simply pushed into the ground and examined, to kits that include color charts and tubes. The latter gives more reliable results. For the best results, take small samples of soil from various areas of your garden or vegetable plot.
Improving your soil fertility
Whatever your soil type, organic matter such as homemade compost and leaf mold must be added regularly to improve structure and nutrient content. Organic matter mainly helps to break up heavy clay soils, improving drainage, and binds together sandy soil, improving retention of water and nutrients. If added once a year, organic matter will improve soil and overcome any problems associated with the texture. Adding organic matter can also slightly lower the pH level of the soil to a level perfect for most vegetables. That’s all folks hope you have enjoyed preparing soil for vegetable garden and keep gardening!.
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