The soil is vital to the life of garden. It is the transport system that will deliver nutrients, air and water to plants. Soil is made up of organic and inorganic an material, that includes rock particles, decaying plants and animals, air, water, and microorganisms. The ideal soil garden is one which contains amounts of silt, clay and sand. If you squeeze it lightly, it should hold its shape.

For the soil of garden proper drainage is essential as roots cannot develop, live, and function without a constant supply of oxygen. When soils are cold, wet, crusty, or cloddy under these conditions seedlings are slow to emerge and some do not survive. Short plants, slow growth, poor color, and shallow and malformed roots are some of the symptoms of unhealthy garden soil.

Measure the acidity of the soil by the pH level - a 1-14 scale.

• if the score comes 7- soil is neutral;
• below 7 soil is acidic,
• Above 7 soil is alkaline.

Make garden soil rich

• To make garden soil rich, add manure, composted leaves, sawdust, bark, or peat moss periodically. Check the plant residue from the diseases before adding them to garden soil.
• During spring, cover crop like clovers and vetch helps in prevent soil erosion and adds organic matter and nutrients to the soil.
• Chicken litter to garden soil is to be applied in adequate amount. Add more of poultry manure instead of animal manure. Add sufficient amount of manure to garden soil as it makes the soil salty and indirectly harm the growth of plants.
• The ideal fertilizer is one that supplies every needed element of nutrition for the crop growth.
• Garden soil should have mainly three nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potash for proper growth of plants.
• Nitrogen does not remain in the soil for longer time; it is used up by plants. Nitrogen is responsible for healthy leaf and stem growth. In the soil, nitrogen is made available to plants by nitrogen fixing bacteria which convert nitrogen into nitrates, a form plants can use.
• Phosphorus is important for root growth and producing new flowers.
• Potassium is for overall plant health.

To make your garden bright and colorful, make the garden soil rich with the necessary nutrients and fertilizer. Be careful while adding nutrients to the soil as excessive amount of manure can harm growth of plants. Use natural fertilizer instead of artificial  ones.

Tags: acidity of the soil, gardening soil, how to make garden soil rich