Amending the Soil in Your Garden - Making Great Soil

Garden Soil: What It Means to Your Garden
Good soil means healthy plants. Bad soil means you'll constantly be trying to help your plants grow better and fight off problems. That's the bottom line. Here, in more detail, is how to know if you have good soil and, if not, how to make it so.

What is Organic Matter and What Does it Do For My Garden Soil?
Every garden book talks about the importance of adding plenty of organic matter to your garden soil. But what is organic matter and just what does it do that's so wonderful? Is it compost? Manure? Cover crops? Organic matter is all those things and what organic matter can do for your garden soil is nothing short of a miracle.

Amending Your Garden Soil - Making Good Soil out of Bad
No soil is perfect, but that doesn't mean you have to work with what you have. Knowing where your soil is lacking and where it's fine will tell you what you need to add, or amend with, to make it great.

How Much Mulch or Soil Amendment Will You Need?
How-to tips for measuring your garden and calculating how many yards or bags of soil amendments it will take to cover it. Avoid repeated trips to the store and measure before hand.

Green Manure and Cover Crops
Green manure isn't some new trend. The term green manure just refers to an old practice of growing a quick crop to feed the soil and then turning in under, to decompose and become fertilizer. Here are some suggestions.

What Do Coffee Grounds Do for the Garden?
5 ways to use coffee grounds in your garden, to improve the soil and deter pests.

Wood Ash - Is It Safe in the Garden?
Is wood ash good for garden soil? Will it do more harm than good? That depends on your soil and, of course, on the wood that was burned. Here are some thoughts to consider before you put wood ash on your garden plants.

Mild Carton Compost Screener
Here's an easy alternative for a compost screen that works especially well if your compost is still a bit chunky.