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Natural Ways to Improve Your Soil? One of the most important things you need in your backyard if you intend to grow your own food is good soil.
Depending on where you live, you might have oil that can handle a lot of different fruits or vegetables or you may be very limited.
Natural Ways to Improve Your Soil
There are some natural ways to improve your soil by yourself as well. You just need Natural Ways to Improve Your Soil directions!
Natural Ways to Improve Your Soil: Start Composting
I know I have talked about composting before. And again. And again. But it really is black gold when it comes down to your garden.
Composting is super important to do whenever you are going to start or maintain a garden, especially if you are growing food. It helps to give you natural fertilizer to help your fruits, veggies, and herbs grow organically in your yard. Composting is also an ideal way to get the best soil possible.
Composting simply involves reusing organic waste. There are different types of waste, including brown and green composting waste. This includes things like grass clippings, weeds, dry leaves, eggshells, manure (if you have animals outdoors), and food waste. Save them into piles and use them for mulch in the soil.
Encourage the Right Insects
Yes, we often talk about bugs as the dangerous pest of the garden. Many of them are as they eat and destroy your crops. Here is the funny thing: they also pollinate your plants.
You may not want any insects in your yard, but some of them are actually good for the soil. Naturally, some bugs aren’t great for your vegetable garden, but there are some that will work hard to keep your soil healthy.
For example, ladybugs have larvae to improve the health of your soil, and soldier beetles are great if you’re growing flowers and plants. There are certain plants that will encourage these bugs to settle into your soil, including the following:
- Cosmos
- Dill
- Fennel
- Marigolds
- Perennials
- Parsley
- Sweet clover
- Daisies
- Yarrow
- Goldenrods
NOW you know why grandma always had marigolds planted around the edge of her garden! Personally, I still like taking the seed pods apart when the blooms are spent.
Natural Ways to Improve Your Soil: Add Cover Crops
Another thing you can add to your vegetable or herb garden in order to naturally improve your soil is planting cover crops. Cover crops are types of plants that you keep in your garden to provide nutrients to the soil.
Even if these crops have been killed following a harvest season, keeping them in the soil adds nutrients to it. Legumes make really good cover crops, so keep those peas, beans, and alfalfa crops even after the main harvest season.
It is wonderful having all of that protein go back into your soil and the reason that farmers often rotate their crops and leave a field fallow once in a while.
Huh. Imagine that!
Make sure if you decide to get store-bought fertilizer for your soil, you use natural and organic varieties. Pay close attention to the labels and ask someone at the garden supply store for the most natural options. Usually having cover crops and mulch is enough for better soil, but this also depends on where you live.
I know this is a short article, but honestly? If you look back into all of the times I have talked about composting and mulching? You have already been told a lot. Why keep repeating myself and driving you nuts? Why keep repeating myself and driving you nuts? Why keep repeating myself and driving you nuts? Why keep repeating myself and driving you nuts?
(sorry, I couldn't resist)