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The New Gardener’s Essential Guide to Soil

July 27, 2018 by Jeanne

You can’t garden without soil. Yet most people take it for granted.

This Guide to Soil offers everything you need to know about soil tests, soil health, composting, and more.

 Why bother learning about soil?

Good soil grows great plants. Soil health is perhaps the most important thing to learn in the world of gardening. Soil nurtures, sustains, supports and provides everything plants need for their growth (except for sunlight of course).

Sure, you can grow plants in water solutions. Hydroponics fascinates many people. I can’t stand it. Give me dirt, soil, good old-fashioned mud, the teeming food web seething under the soil. It’s my kind of life.

What’s the difference between dirt and soil?

When I started working at a garden center, I mistakenly called soil “dirt.” You should have seen the look on the face of the expert gardener in front of me. Ouch!

There’s a big difference between dirt and soil. Although we use the terms interchangeably in everyday conversation, soil is a natural resource composed of minerals, organic material, water and air. It’s essential for plant growth and provides nutrients and a suitable environment for plants to grow.

On the other hand, dirt is nutrient poor and doesn’t support plant growth. Dirt can mean debris and infertile elements, too. Soil gives life; dirt can be what’s left over after life is gone.

lush plants mean great soil and our guide to soil will show you how to grow great plants

All About Soil

Don’t Work Wet Soil

Soil for Container Vegetable Gardens

Working with Your Soil

Why Is Soil Important?

What Is Aeration?

Soil Test Guide

Getting Your Soil Professionally Tested

Why Get a Soil Test Done in the Fall?

Composting

Winter Composting: Is It Too Cold to Add to the Compost Pile?

Worm Composting

Trench Composting

How to Make Compost

Other Resources About Soil

What Is Soil? – US Department of Agriculture

Soil Organic Matter – Cornell University

The Secrets of Soil – Smithsonian Institution

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Filed Under: How to Garden

Previous Post: « Planting a Symbolic Garden – Remembering People by Their Plants
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  1. How to Bring House Plants Indoors for the Winter - Home Garden Joy says:
    July 8, 2019 at

    […] at this time. Insects that lay eggs in the soil can hatch once they come inside. By using sterile, bagged garden soil and repotting the plants, not only are you giving them better soil but you are preventing insects […]

  2. Composting Basics - Home Garden Joy says:
    July 16, 2019 at

    […] and more importantly, compost adds nutrients, improves soil structure, and adds beneficial microbes back into the soil. You see, nature never intended us to dump pounds […]

  3. Growing Onions from Sets - Home Garden Joy says:
    July 24, 2019 at

    […] did get the soil tested this year and the result was that in all of the raised beds, the compost mixture we’d added […]

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