GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Healthy soil is the number one priority for a successful garden, and there are some to-do items to get done now that will help your flowers and veggies next spring and summer.
These are especially important if you are growing in a raised bed garden.
First let’s look at your soil. It should:
- Be a dark, rich color.
- Crumble nicely between your fingers and feel gritty and slightly sticky.
- Smell earthy, not sour.
Next, pour some water on it. If the water sinks in and is readily absorbed that’s a good sign. Water that just pools on the top is a sign again that you need to add some nutrients to that soil.
So how do you add nutrients and organic matter?
One option is to simply add some native soil from elsewhere in your yard. While this isn’t the best choice for new neighborhoods, those in wooded areas can especially benefit from high mineral content in the soil you already have. Soil you buy in a bag at the store doesn’t usually have a high amount of minerals. Add more than you think. It will settle.
Follow up with at least one inch of compost. Add up to 4 inches if your soil REALLY needs help. Homemade compost is best.
Another inch of well-rotted animal manure will add minerals and organic matter to the garden for rich soil texture. Be careful not to add fresh manure.
Ever head of biochar? Pick up a bag and add it into your garden to improve the soil’s fertility next spring.
If you happen to have some leaf mold, put that in too!
Mix all that up in your garden bed and top off with either a cover crop or straw/mulch up to 3” deep. We want to avoid bare soil and protect the microbes living below. Even some layered cardboard is better than leaving the soil bare through the winter.
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