1450 Fairchild Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27105
(336) 703-2853
Building Garden Soils in the Community Garden
Posted on 9/20/2011 by Mary Jac Brennen
A garden soil that has been built over the years is worth its weight in gold. A rich, friable garden soil with good tilth and structure supports healthy plant growth. Healthy plants produce bountiful harvests over a long period of time. Fall is the season to work on building your garden soil.
Improving the garden soil takes an investment of time, effort, and organic matter. Good garden soil is rich in soil microbes and earth worms. It will have a fresh, sweet smell when turned. A good garden soil will clump when squeezed in the palm of the hand, but will drain well and have plenty of pore space for gas exchange.
How do you know what your garden soil needs? If you have not had a soil test for several years, take a sample for testing at the North Carolina Soil Lab. Sample boxes may be picked up at the Extension office. Follow the directions for soil sampling, and either return the filled sample box to the Extension office or mail it off yourself to the address on the box. In the fall, soil test results will be available from the lab within 3 weeks. The results will let you know what nutrients are needed in the soil to grow your garden. If lime is recommended, add it in the fall. It takes about 3-4 months for lime to become active in the soil. Lime affects the pH of the soil. Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity and is the determining factor on whether nutrients in a soil can be taken up by the plant roots. Most garden crops grow best at a pH of 6.5.
