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Tip 1: Testing the Soil
Good soil is the key to creating a beautiful and healthy garden. By determining
the relative acidity of your soil (i.e., its Ph balance), you can make informed decisions about what plants to buy, how to
fertilize, etc.
Are you having
only minimum results with your lawn, vegetable garden, flowers or shrubs? If that’s the case, chances are you need to test
your soil so you know exactly what is needed to properly grow your plants.
There are several different ways in which you can test your soil. One is to use
a do-it-yourself home soil test kit. There is also soil testing provided by private laboratories or
state and local agents. These private providers usually charge a small fee, depending upon the extent of your soil tests.
Also, given the time of year, it could take a few weeks to get the results of your test. I would recommend doing it yourself,
it is easy to do with a soil testing kit. Most garden and hardware outlets sell soil test kits.
A good soil test is important. It lets you know
the exact nutrient needed for your garden so you don’t waste money on plants and the wrong fertilizers.
You will also know from the test whether you need to raise or lower the pH in your soil. Soil testing, in order to know
the pH your soil, assures that all of your yard and garden areas get exactly what it needs to grow to its fullest potential.
Here is why it is necessary
that you know your soil's pH, the nitrogen, phosphorus and potash content in your soil.
pH - Soil pH determines whether or not plants are able to consume
nutrients. If the pH is too high or too low, nutrients in the soil become un-absorbable by the plants, thus fertilizer not
only goes to waste, but your plants will literally dry up and die. NITROGEN - Adequate nitrogen produces firm growth of stalks, stems, leaves, and grasses.
To much nitrogen causes rapid growth that results in softness of tissue and weakens the plant. Plants suffering from nitrogen
deficiency are more susceptible to disease, infection, and injury. PHOSPHORUS - Phosphorus gives plants a rapid start, stimulates root formation, hastens maturity,
and aids blooming and seed formation. POTASH
(POTASSIUM) - Proper amounts of potash stimulate early root or tuber formation which is absolutely necessary for all underground
vegetables and tuberous flowers. Excessive potash reduces a plant's resistance to droughts and frost injury and delays
plant maturity. HOW TO GATHER
SOIL SAMPLE - Gather a soil sample from two to three inches below the surface using a clean instrument such as a soil sampler,
trowel or spoon. Since test results are sensitive to outside elements such as ashes, never smoke while gathering or testing
your soil, and never touch the sample with your hands.
Put samples in clean containers and label them as to which part of the yard or garden
they come from. Samples should be taken from various areas, especially when there is a change in the elevation of the land
or where there might be a variation in the soil, such as a particularly sunny spot, an area beneath a tree, a part of your
garden that has been under cultivation, or low-lying areas which collect water. It is best to take samples from every location,
including the center of the area.
The soil should not be too wet. If it is not dry enough to walk on,
allow it to air dry naturally rather than under direct heat.
Remove solids and debris such as stones and pieces of wood without touching the soil. Crumble the soil
as finely as possible. This is easily done by putting the sample in a plastic bag and crumbling, or going over it with a rolling
pin. When the soil is loose and crumbles, your sample is ready for testing.
Soil test kits include valuable charts listing the ideal pH for hundreds
of flowering plants, vegetables, grasses, and trees, plus, charts showing how to determine the exact nutritional needs after
testing, instructions on how to raise and lower pH, and instructions on when and how to fertilize.
With a properly fertilized lawn or garden, with the soil having
the correct pH level, you should have very little or no problem growing beautiful flowers, the juiciest, most nutritious vegetables,
or the thickest, greenest lawn in town.
Now go and enjoy your garden .... Come back often, as tips may
change often.
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Tip 2: River Rock & Boulders
River rock and boulders are tricky to get placed just right, to look natural
and not arranged. Below are tips on how to build a river rock bed, and make boulders look like there' in a countryside ....
I once lived in a house where I put in a dry river rock bed that started
in one far corner of the back yard and meandered around from that point, across the yard, coming close to the patio,
then across to the other far end of the yard. It was a large yard with only trees, scrubs, flowers and boulders bordering
the river bed.
The yard and patio area was a great place to relax and enjoy the comfortable, peaceful
surroundings. I did all
the lay-out and dug the dry river bed myself. I learned some things, and perhaps I will be able to convey what I know about
doing a dry river bed.
First,
decide where you want the bed to be located, where it will start, and where it will be going, whether it will curve, be straight ....
etc. That will be determined mostly by the size of your yard. But a river bed is what it is ... no matter the size. It
still must be formed, and fit the design of your yard, whether it is a straight or curved design.
You must shovel out to the bottom of
the dry river bed .... (work). No matter how wide the bed, shovel out no more then 5" below the natural surface
level of the landscape, with the bed design having a slightly rounded bottom from one side to the other. Sorry,
that may be the part everyone already knows about.
Now comes the instructional part .... how to do the river rock in the bed. This is very
short but important, and something most people don't how to do. Order the amount of river rock you are going to need ....
(that's not it) Place the rock in the bed from one side to the other, but before you do that, or as you do that, pick
out the larger rock and put them to one side.
Fill the dry bed with all the remaining rock, then, take the larger
rock, ones you have put aside, and place them individually on top of the smaller rock. Scatter them along the middle, and
from side to side. This will show off the larger rock and give a look of design.
Now, boulders. No matter where you are
putting a boulder, ever place a boulder on top of the ground, it looks awful. Rather, dig a hole large enough to cover less
that half the boulder, place it in and cover with dirt around the sides. You may want the rock to be positioned flat
or tilted some, but show the best side up and expose the better part.
When placing boulders along side the dry river bed, place them at the bend(s) of your
river bed. Notice when you see a river how it turns in one direction or another, that is caused by rocks blocking the direction
where the river might have gone. See another turn in the river, it is also blocked by rocks, making it turn in another
certain direction.
Placing boulders on the side of the bed where it is straight makes no sense. And
again, dig the boulders in and cover them with dirt.
You want a dry river bed with rock and boulders .... you can do this.
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