Gardening Tips: What You Can Do in Winter to Improve Your Soil in Spring
Most homeowners in HalifaxCounty who have spent anytime in the garden have the same complaint- the soil. If it’s not the heavy red clay that the majority of homeowners have, its mostly sand. Very few homeowners have that ideal loamy soil that is equal parts sand, clay, and silt. Therefore, amendment to the soil is often necessary to successfully grow trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, or grass. Although winter is upon us, let’s look at a couple things you can do during winter to improve your soil in springtime.
The first thing you can do is to take a soil sample and have it analyzed. This is a free service offered by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture through the cooperative extension. The extension office in Halifax has soil sample boxes and instructions, and will send your samples to the NCDA lab for you. Take a sample from each section of your property that you use for growing grass or gardening. For example, you might want to take one sample of the front lawn, one of the back lawn, one of your vegetable garden, and one of the flower bed in front of the house. If you have any “problem areas” where plants have a hard time growing, you may want to sample this location as well. You willreceive a report in the mail telling you what amount, if any, of lime and fertilizer to add to each location. A copy of the report is also sent to the extension service, who will help you to understand this report if you have any questions. Fall and early winter are a good time to take soil samples, because although it will take several weeks for the lab to process them, the results will still arrive in plenty of time to prepare the garden in spring time.
Another thing you can do to improve soil is to add compost to the existing soil. If you have clay soil, the compost will lighten it up and provide better drainage. If your soil is sandy, the compost will help retain water and nutrients. If you do not have a compost pile, consider starting one in the springtime. You can get a head start now by collecting leaves that are already covering your lawn this time of year. Place them in plastic bags or in a pile near the woods. When spring comes, you can build an inexpensive compost bin using either 2 x 4’s and poultry wire, or granite blocks. Layer the leaves you’ve collected with vegetable scraps from the kitchen, grass and garden clippings. Do not use any meat products in your compost pile, as the smell will attract rodents and other small animals. If possible, shred leaves or other large materials before adding them to the pile to speed up the composting process. The inside of the pile will heat up and speed the natural decomposition of the compost materials. Turning the pile every week or so will keep the pile active. When the process is complete, you will have a rich, dark humus material that you can add to your soil. If you already have a compost pile, you can continue to add materials to it even during winter, although the compost process will be very slow. You will not need to regularly turn the pile during winter.
For those who may want to learn more about soil, composting, or other issues relevant to gardening at home, Halifax County Cooperative Extension will be offering the Master Gardener program beginning in February 2006. For more information contact the extension office.
Matthew Stevens is the horticulture extension agent forHalifaxCounty Cooperative Extension. If you have any questions about this article or other aspects of your home gardening, please contact Matthew at 583-5161 or .