Building Great Soil

See All Soils & Mixes: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/2/OutdoorLiving/Garden-Care/SoilsMixes.jsp

A basic building block of any great garden is good soil.

And spending the time and effort to build great garden soil will pay back in sturdy, thriving plants that produce more of what you’re looking for.  

Unfortunately, the average yard doesn’t come with  fertile soil.  When a new house is built the top soil in the yard is graded off and sold, leaving you with a thin layer of top soil over heavily compacted subsoil that won’t nourish your plants.

If soil is too dense and compacted, roots have a hard time pushing through.  

On the other hand, if soil is too sandy it will dry out too quickly leaving your plants without vital water.

Good garden soil feels light and crumbly and breaks apart easily.

The best thing you can add to build up any type of soil is plant material  [Generally that means adding a good amount of compost and well-rotted manure. 

Compost made from lawn trimmings and other plant cuttings works well.  Just be sure never to add diseased or buggy plant material to your compost.

Well-rotted manure can be purchased...

... and then mixed in well with compost.

Building up plant material loosens and lightens soil and helps keep a balance between the ability to drain excess water and hold moisture for plant roots.

Another benefit of soils rich in plant material is its ability to foster beneficial bacteria and other organisms like earthworms that mix and aerate garden soil and bring up necessary minerals and nutrients from deeper in the earth.

Compost and manure also add major nutrients that help plants grow like nitrogen and potassium.

The third major nutrient, phosphorus can be added by amending the soil with bone meal or rock phosphate.

You can give your garden a real head start by creating nutrient rich, well-structured garden soil. And everything you need to build great soil and a great garden is available...

...at Canadian Tire