Organic Soil

Organic gardening starts with the soil. Gardeners must add organic matter to the soil regularly in order to keep the soil productive. In fact, compost is essential to the healthiness and well being of plants grown organically. Compost can be made from leaves, dead flowers, vegetable scraps, fruit rinds, and grass clippings.

The ideal soil has a dark color, sweet smell, and is full of earthworms. Some soil may need more natural additives than regular compost can give, such as bonemeal, rock phosphates, or greensand. Organic fertilizers can also be used. Choose the right one for your intended garden use.

Soil tests will tell you the pH balance and which nutrients you will need to add. A sample can be taken and sent for analysis to a local testing center or do it yourself. Garden centers and nurseries should have soil tests to figure out the nutrition and acidity of your soil.

Healthy soil in general should:

• Feed creatures that live in soil
• Have diversity in the flora and fauna
• Good physical structure
• Provide natural plant food and helps retain added plant food
• Good water absorption and good drainage
• Protects against any changes in ph balance

Organic gardening is developed over a period of time so that chemical pesticides and fertilizers can be eliminated. It is important that only organic matter go into the making of compost. For example use grass clippings that use organic pesticides and fertilizers or organic fruit and vegetable scrapes. This can be difficult as buying all organic fresh food can be expensive. Do your best by washing all fruits and vegetables and do not put any of the non-organic dirty dozen in your compost.