The original soil in the Ozark mountains is made up of clay and rocks and registers at about 5.7 PH on our homestead land. Not exactly the best soil for growing a garden right out of the gate. We are big believers of making your own soil or making your soil better by simply adding natural materials in the form of nitrogen (grass clippings, dead plants, straw, etc) and carbon (wood chips, saw dust compost, etc).
You can make some really good soil year after year by layering natural materials over the top of one another. However, you can really give your garden explosive potential by adding a few other natural materials. These natural editions to your garden will load up the soil and microbiology with minerals and nutrients only found in some of the most FERTILE LOCATIONS ON EARTH! We've been doing it now for 5 years and I can tell you that the more you vary the soil amendments, the more growth you will see in your garden.
- AZOMITE
The first thing I always recommend especially for first time gardeners or for gardeners that are having growth issues in their garden is rock dust.
) like to tease me about putting this on my garden but I know this stuff works wonders for poor soil. (@ShalomAcres actually has amazing gardens so check out his page!) Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why places like Hawaii or other volcanic regions of the world are so fertile? Experts will tell you that it's because of the mineral content of volcanic ash in that area. And they would be right!
Azomite is pulled from the earth at an ancient volcanic ash deposit site in Utah. The ash is packed full of natural trace minerals. These micro nutrients give your soil and plants the equivalent of a dose of healthy vitamins. In turn, the plants use these vitamins to grow strong and ward off disease and pests and withstand adverse weathering and create a hardier plant overall. This is always my first recommendation for a new or struggling garden to build up soil potential.
- Magnesium
Do you ever go out to your garden and find plants with yellowing leaves? Or maybe they are green but they are just not as bright as they could be.
Having this natural mineral in your soil will allow your plants to more easily distribute the chlorophyll around the leaves. This results in a healthier looking and stronger plant. The resulting fruit from the plant will also be healthier for you as well!
- Bat Guano
I once had someone tell me that they would never grow their vegetable garden in any kind of poop and that it's not natural. They would only grow a garden in dirt.
I believe the more kinds of poop you can add to your soil, the better your soil will be. We do compost humanure on our homestead but only reserve it for fruit trees and black berry vines. Bat Guano is proven to be some of the most plant favored nitrogen additions you can put on your garden. Yes, it can be expensive but you are benefiting your garden by adding yet another amazing nutrient your plants can use to grow. Even if you purchase a little and broadcast it thin, I think your plants will love it!
- Coffee Grounds
Besides Azomite rock dust, coffee grounds are the top pick for me to put on my garden every year. And to think that many people just throw them away in the trash. If you want to boost worm activity in your soil, give them your left over coffee grounds.
BOTTOM LINE TO EXCEPTIONAL GARDENING
Photo by Laylita
THE SALAD
Think of your soil for the garden like a salad. Your base for the salad is one kind of lettuce. It's nice, but it's boring. So you add in a few other kinds of lettuce greens. Now the salad is getting a bit more interesting. So you add some small slices of carrots, some chopped onion, a few olives and diced tomatoes. Then top it off with a bit of cheese and a dressing and now you have a party in your salad bowl! The same is true with your garden. If you add different natural materials to your soil, you're enhancing it and helping the plants growing in it to have all the needed materials to produce for your salad.
You can't expect to have a green thumb by only planting in dirt. You need to care for the dirt and add to it to make it come alive with microbial activity and then sit back and watch the fantastic growth of nature!
Visit Us Online: http://AnAmericanHomestead.com
