planted beds to a depth of two to three inches in the
winter with compost will have the added benefit of
increasing soil moisture retention so your plants will
not dry out as quickly in the summer; at the same time
you will improve the soil texture so the soil will not
remain saturated and will become free draining.
Compost helps to bring the pH of the soil closer to a
neutral pH because the organic layer in the soil acts
as a buffer not allowing the pH to get too high or low.
This is only true as long as you are not adding any
acidifying leaves to the compost (for example do not
compost conifer needles), as these will acidify the
soil and have the opposite effect. A layer of compost
can help suppress weeds from growing provided it is
deep enough or at least make it easier to weed them
out. They seem to come out by the root a lot easier
from soil that has had compost added.
The ideal soil is free draining with a pH of about 6.5,
usually a loam with just the right balance of clay, silt
and sand particles.
There is a part of the soil that is not living and that
is formed by particles of weathered stone known to
us as sand, silt and clay. These categories are based
on the size of the particles. Sand is the courser stuff,
larger in size and clay is the very finest with silt some-
where in between. The soil in your garden has
formed over millions of years, due to the weathering
of rock and the interaction of these with the living
organic part of the soil. It is important to understand
these components as they give your garden its own
unique character depending on the proportions of
them you have in your soil.
. . . / continued on page 22
Garden compost made with leaves and grass cuttings
is probably the best type of organic matter to add to
your soil. Making good compost can be a challenge,
as it can take about three years for things to break
down thoroughly and may involve a lot of turning of
the heap. Turning the heap basically means getting a
fork and turning from one bin to the next on a regular
basis. If you want to buy compost from a landscape
supply firm, this will probably be in the form of mush-
room compost which is a good substitute. Local
farms are also a good source of well-rotted manure.
As long as it has reached a high heat and broken down
sufficiently it will not have weed seeds in it. Try and
avoid the stuff that has straw and wood chip still in it.
The Grapevine
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