Time for Soil Testing
12 Oct 2009 4 Comments
in Garden Projects, Vegetable/ Herb Garden Tags: acidic soil, alkaline soil, healthy soil, pH soil testing, soil test kit
Soil Test Kit
Soil Test Results
Have you ever tested the soil in your garden? Honestly, this was my first time! I felt like a scientist, mixing water and soil and adding the little capsules of powder to each vile. For under $8.00 a Soil Test Kit will show you what the levels for pH, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium are in your garden soil.
Why does this matter? Well, vegetables such as: lettuce, root crops, and peas grow best in soil with a pH level of 6.0 to 6.8. To produce the most abundant and healthy crop it’s best to match the plant need with the same pH levels in your soil. If your soil has a high alkaline reading, then you can amend the soil with organic alternatives such as iron sulfate. If your soil is very acidic (0-3) reading, then adding dolomitic limestone 3 weeks before planting will help. A reading of (7) is neutral. Directions and more in depth information are on the soil testing package…try it!
Thank you for visiting my blog: www.nadiaknows.com
” I know I want to keep creating, growing and having fun.”
Sloshed Slugs
10 Sep 2009 13 Comments
in Vegetable/ Herb Garden Tags: healthy soil, organic pesticide, planter gardening, slugs and snail removal, soil preparation
I have read a few organic gardening articles about various methods for getting rid of snails and slugs in the yard and put one to the test last night. Could it really be true that allowing them to enjoy a night time swim in a pool of beer can do the trick? This week I’m getting my raised planters ready for fall crops and I wanted to cleanse the soil of any hiding slugs before planting seeds. After sinking a few shallow dishes in the planter and adjusting the rim of the dish so that it was just even with the soils surface, I then filled them up with some cheap beer (shall I say the name?). The next morning I discovered over 30 slugs were captured. What a great way to get those slimy slugs out of the soil and it sure beats getting up early in the morning and hand picking them out. I love a succesful experiment- try it- it works!
- Slugs Doing The Backstroke In Budweiser
Thank you for visiting my blog! www.nadiaknows.com
“i know i want to keep creating, growing and having fun.”
