The condition of your garden topsoil is going to be the single most important factors in how well your garden looks. Your plants use this topsoil to get many of the nutrients needed to prosper. In the following paragraphs i will talk about some things to check and a few ways that we can help out both our gardens topsoil and the plants that we want to grow in it. Hopefully this can let you make the most from your garden.
Just about the most important things to watch for in your Garden Topsoil is the moisture levels is of paramount importance. Too much and it will be too boggy. Meaning your plants will be far too wet around the roots. Too little and the topsoil will be way too dry to sustain your plants needs. Not enough moisture held in the soil is a sign that the water is draining through it way too quickly. If you have either of these issues, all is not lost, there are many things that can be done to optimise the the quality of the topsoil.
To ensure the water drains easily and to stop the soil clumping, try digging in fine gravel or sand to your garden topsoil. Horse Manure or well rotted compost will also benefit your soil.
Whilst these may be the cheapest way to improve your drainage, they are by no means the easiest, buying high quality garden Topsoil in the first place will reduce the need to do this, but obviously that comes at a premium. Other ways would be to introduce large amounts of well rotted manure or compost which will not only add a lot of nutrition for your plants to feed off but will also help with moisture retention.
If your garden is not well maintained you will face the bain of every gardners life, weeds. No sooner do you get rid off them that another one replaces it. A good natural Mulch is probably the most effective way to control this. This will help by blocking out the light so the weeds won’t grow again, as it rots down it puts nutrition back in to the soil meaning that your gardens topsoil remains in excellent condition.
Bad topsoil can also affect you grass as well as your plants. Out of sight out of mind springs to mind when talking about the condition of the topsoil underneath your grass. Of course there are signs that problems are occurring even with a lawn. Heavy moss or puddles forming can be signs that there are drainage problems. The best way to solve that is to aerate the lawn add a small amount of sand and a good quality natural turf dressing.
Your lawn going discoloured before anyone else’s in hot weather is a sure sign that your soil in too free draining and needs your attention. Yes, lawns should be slightly dry but on the other hand they still need moisture to draw those all so important nutrients.
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