Landscaping is about more than the plants you grow; it is also about the soil that supports them. A healthy landscape begins with healthy soil. The following are a few ways to ensure your soil remains healthy.
1. Amending
Amendments are typically added before planting, whether you are planting a lawn or a garden bed. Compost is added to provide organic material, which conditions and provides base nutrients to the site. Powdered lime may be added if the soil is too acidic, or sulphur may be tilled in to overly basic soils. Sand is sometimes added to aid drainage, but only in small amounts or it will become concrete-like in wet soil.
2. Aeration
Over time, the soil beneath your lawn grass can compact. This is a natural byproduct of irrigation, walking on the lawn, and using heavy equipment like lawnmowers. Fortunately, you can remedy the issue by having the soil aerated. Your landscaping service will use a machine called a core aerator to remove plugs of soil from the lawn without damage. The plugs are left on top of the soil to dissolve. The result is looser soil that can better absorb water and nutrients.
3. Mulching
Mulch is an important factor for your landscaping. Wood mulch covers bare soil in garden beds so that they look nicer and so that weeds don't take over. Mulch also helps prevent moisture loss, which keeps drought stress from affecting the plants. As mulch decomposes, it leaches nutrients into the soil. You can apply mulch in flower gardens, around trees and shrubs, or on any bare soil in the yard. Apply mulch in a 3 inch deep layer in order to reap the most benefits.
4. Fertilization
Your grass, trees, and garden plants deplete the nutrients stored in the soil, particularly nitrogen. Regular fertilization recharges the soil with these needed nutrients so that you plants remain healthy. The type of fertilizer and frequency of application depends on your climate, what you are growing, and the current nutrient levels. A soil test can help determine what type and how much fertilizer to apply, and your landscape service can develop an application schedule tailored to your yard.
5. Erosion Control
Erosion can strip away the healthy soil in your landscape. Erosion affects both slopes and other areas exposed to heavy water runoff. Your landscapers can install drains, runoff diverters, and landscape items like retaining walls and swales to help prevent erosion issues in your yard.
Contact a landscape service for more help in managing the soil health in your yard.
When you move into a new home, relandscaping the garden is one way to have it reflect your personality. However, before buying any new plants, you need to know which ones suit your location climate the best.
When it is time to learn about landscaping and plants, but you don't know where to start, then you come to this website and start reading. Climate has a big impact on how well your new plants grow, so it is important to learn about soil testing, plant choice, and growth optimization, amongst other things.
The more you learn about plant choice and then their care, the better the odds of successful growing days.