Right Soil for a Perennial Garden
Part of the Video Series How to Start a Perennial Garden
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Video Transcript
Right Soil for a Perennial Garden
Soil preparation. Before you put any plant in the ground, it's a very good idea to figure out what kind of soil you have. Some soils can be sandy, some can hard. This one we have being in western Mass, we have some of it is actually quite hard, clay to honest with you. When I started gardening and I first my shovel in the ground, underneath it's this very hard tact type of clay. I actually had my soil tested, the extension service, which you can do, and found out that I had to add stuff to make a little more looser. Compost is good. I have a compost pile. Sometimes you can get bagged types of manure, which is very light. You add that into and it sometimes, matter of fact bring up the PH and it'll make it lose and then you can shovel it, mix it up. When I first started gardening, I actually went down about a foot and put it to the side. As you get deeper, it's going to get actually harder and harder. This soil has been amended and I put compost in it every year. I have a friend down the street who has a horse farm. Great horse manure with a little saw dust in here. Then over the years, it just becomes a little looser and then you can put plants in it and blend it together. You want to have a nice healthy loose soil. You could put your plants in it and they'll be happy. Every year you can add a little fertilizer. I just like to add this compost, it loosens it up. Every time you want to put a new plant in the ground, it's pretty good for it.
Soil preparation. Before you put any plant in the ground, it's a very good idea to figure out what kind of soil you have. Some soils can be sandy, some can hard. This one we have being in western Mass, we have some of it is actually quite hard, clay to honest with you. When I started gardening and I first my shovel in the ground, underneath it's this very hard tact type of clay. I actually had my soil tested, the extension service, which you can do, and found out that I had to add stuff to make a little more looser. Compost is good. I have a compost pile. Sometimes you can get bagged types of manure, which is very light. You add that into and it sometimes, matter of fact bring up the PH and it'll make it lose and then you can shovel it, mix it up. When I first started gardening, I actually went down about a foot and put it to the side. As you get deeper, it's going to get actually harder and harder. This soil has been amended and I put compost in it every year. I have a friend down the street who has a horse farm. Great horse manure with a little saw dust in here. Then over the years, it just becomes a little looser and then you can put plants in it and blend it together. You want to have a nice healthy loose soil. You could put your plants in it and they'll be happy. Every year you can add a little fertilizer. I just like to add this compost, it loosens it up. Every time you want to put a new plant in the ground, it's pretty good for it.
About the Expert
Expert: Martha Cycz has been a perennial backyard gardener for more than 20 years. Read More
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