Soil Preparation For Planting
Preparation for planting the tree actually starts at least a month in advance that is if you are interested in growing healthy plants. Soil needs to settle well. If the quality of the soil is not good enough you will need to add organic matter and nutrients to improve the quality of the soil. The humus requires time to break down and the nutrients too need to be released well into the soil.
Dig the soil well:
A spade is usually good enough to dig up the soil. Chances are high for the soil to retain excess water during wet seasons, and to avoid this, the hole in the soil needs to be made deep enough. Soil could be lumpy and would need breaking down. The use of ash, cinders, and sand should from the bottom layer of the soil.
For improving quality you can also add peat moss, compost, grass clippings, manure further into the soil. After this the top layer of the soil needs to be prepared for planting. For preparing the top layer, leaf mould, peat moss, humus, and manure can be used in appropriate quantities. It is a good habit to use sand, wood ash and lime also to improve the quality of the top layer of the soil. This is not actually necessary, but can be done as and when required for the soil.
Manure should not touch the roots:
Roots of the plant are very sensitive and hence ensure the roots are not in direct touch with the manure. Bone meal is an excellent fertilizer which acts slowly into the top layer of the soil. Necessary nutrients can be supplied to the plant in this way. Plant food can be released into the soil for a longer duration. You need to note that bone meal may not suit all plants. There also exist some lime-hating plants that avoid absorption of calcium.
Another option is mixing up a part of horn and hoof and two parts of bone meal to prepare better organic matter for the soil, which can then be forked into the soil well. Many people may not know whether the soil is alkaline or acidic. Special kits called soil testing kits are available in the shops for testing the soil. Testing soil is also known as testing the pH value of the soil. If the pH value is less it means that the soil is acidic, and if above it is alkaline in nature. To facilitate the absorption of different nutrients, you can add peat moss and leaf mould into the soil.
Phil Caxton writes for lawnmania.com. More articles on garden soil preparation and sunshine garden house at http://www.lawnmania.com/soil-preparation-for-planting/ .
