| The main requirement soil needs for vegetables is | | | | vermiculite or peat moss (also called soil improver) |
| good physical condition. It should have a loose | | | | can be dug into the soil. Clay soils benefit from |
| crumbly texture which is capable of absorbing and | | | | organic matter too as it improves the structure and |
| holding moisture and nutrients but well aerated to | | | | binds the clay particles into crumbs. |
| enable good drainage. | | | | Organic matter is great for soil and comes from plant |
| Some soils are better for growing plants then others. | | | | or animal remains which are broken down by bacteria |
| Terms like rich and poor, good and bad, fertile and | | | | or other micro-organisms, insects, earthworms which |
| infertile are commonly used to describe these | | | | inhabit the soil. Carbohydrates and proteins |
| differences. The soil in your garden depends on the | | | | decompose quickly into simple chemicals which can be |
| parent rock it came from but also depends on the | | | | absorbed by both plants and bacteria, but the more |
| climate during the hundreds or thousands of years in | | | | resistant parts of organic matter remain as small |
| which it was formed. Poor soils can be improved if | | | | fragments which form a dark brown material called |
| you learn how to manage them. | | | | humus. |
| Sandy soils called 'light soils' have large particles with | | | | Organic fertilizers include animal manures and animal or |
| large spaces called 'pore spaces' between them. They | | | | vegetable by-products. Animal manures contain small |
| hold water very badly and drain readily, but do have | | | | quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium |
| good aeration and easy to cultivate. Sandy soils need | | | | which vary with the kind of animal its diet and the |
| more water than clay soils | | | | amount of straw or litter mixed with it. They are first |
| Clay soils called 'heavy soils' have small particles and | | | | class materials for improving the texture and |
| little pore space. They store water and nutrients | | | | structure of soils, but must be added in large |
| really well but often unable to drain and have any | | | | quantities to benefit the soil in this way. |
| aeration at all. Clay particles have a 'glue-like' texture | | | | How much you water and how often will vary on the |
| called 'colloids' which makes it difficult for cultivation | | | | soil type of your garden, the type of plants you |
| and hold nutrients on their surface. | | | | grow, general climate and time of year. A good |
| The crumbly structure of heavy soil benefits from | | | | soaking encourages deep rooting and soil stays moist |
| organic matter and their texture is improved by | | | | for a long time. Light sprinkling no matter how often |
| adding course sand. You can improve sandy soils | | | | promotes roots to stay at the surface. Whatever |
| easily by adding moisture holding materials, animal | | | | the soil type do not let you or garden come to |
| manure, mushroom compost, garden compost, | | | | wilting point before you water again. |