Soil Preparation for Planting

The ground should be prepared at least a month before planting, if not longer. This allows the soil to settle properly and the gives the organic matter, that has been added to enhance the richness of the soil, time to break down into humus, thereby releasing the nutrients required by the plants.

Usually it is enough to dig the soil to the length of a spade. If, however, the soil tends to hold water during the wet weather, then it would be necessary to make the hole deeper, to about 2 lengths of the spade.

The lumps in the soil should be broken and sand, cinders and ash should be spread in the bottom soil. It would enrich the soil further if manure, compost, grass clippings and peat moss are worked into the soil. The top layer has to be made ready for planting as well. It should have a layer of humus, peat moss, manure and leaf mould. Wood ash, lime and sand are used as and when required.

When using manure, be careful that it does not touch the roots. Sometimes a slow acting fertilizer like bone meal can be forked into the top layer at the rate of 2 to 4 ozs per square yard. This releases the plant food over a long period of time, thus supplying the tree or shrub with the necessary nutrients. Use of bone meal is avoided for lime-hating plants as it contains Calcium.

If organic matter is not available, then a good alternative is a mix of 2 parts bone meal and 1 part hoof and horn (all parts by volume). This is applied at 4 to 6 ozs per square yard and forked well into the soil. Using a soil-testing kit, it is necessary to test whether the soil is acidic or alkaline in nature.

This is known as testing the pH value of the soil. On the pH scale of 14, below 7 means that the soil is acidic, and above 7 means that the soil is alkaline in nature. How well the plants grow is directly linked to the kind of soil that is in the garden. Plants need specific amounts of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium to grow. These are directly absorbed from the soil. Addition of leaf mould or peat moss to the soil would facilitate the absorption of these nutrients.

The optimum pH value should be in the range of 6 to 7.5. Below 6, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium are not easily available for absorption and above 7.5, Iron, Manganese and Phosphorous are not available for absorption. Adding compost and mulch adjust the pH value of the soil. Organic matter when added to the soil neutralizes both acidity and alkalinity, and is thus most beneficial.

Remember that if the soil is acidic, ground limestone or wood ash should be added to raise the pH value, and if the soil is too alkaline, then pine needles, shredded leaves, sulphur, sawdust and peat moss need to be added to lower the pH value of the soil.