Customizing the garden soil

[Sharjeel39]

AOA everyone!!

I need advise from the followers of this forum about the soil composition and what one can do to improve soil quality, avoiding chemical usage.
I think the soil of my garden is quit old and wont able to provide good nutrients to the vegetables which i am about to grow in it.
So before i may start the sowing process, i want the soil to boost up with "LIMESTONE" and "WOOD ASH", please suggest me is it the right thing to do??

I have decided to take a patch of my soil for a test but still want to experiment the limestone and ash thing.



Regards,
M.Sharjeel Hassan

[Hamad]

as per my limited knowledge you can try some organic fertilizer and compost, I hope that would help but still as you said you can test a small patch with your options and then decide, and the rest our senior and experienced members will add.

Hamad

[Mustansir Billah]

I would suggest you(if it is easy) to dig out first 2 feet soil and throw it away and then mix soil and manure with 1:1 ratio and spread it on the field.

[Sharjeel39]

Mustansir Sahab, your suggestion is valuable to me, actually what i am thinking and planning to do is to add old cow manure in my yard, with the addition of wood ash (as it is easy available to me) i have chopped trees in my house which we were planning to dispose, but now i will use their fired remains for mu gardening.
You see my yard plain it slow and rain water easy puddle my land, so i am trying trying to raise the land level with manure, as cow manure is most economical than BHALO RAET( soil).

@Hamid Sahab, Sir thanks for precious and generous comment, sir i have started composting in my house, but that i will be able to use next year not now because it will take at least 3 months.

[newton]

Hi
1. Establish what kind of soil you have
2. what you want to grow and does your soil meet the needs of the plants you want to grow
3. If not what do you need to do to change your soil to meet the needs of those plants or can you choose your plants that thrive in the soil you currently have.

Look at the weeds growing and try some simple home tests to establish what it may be as a starting point, generally growing plants that thrive in the conditions you have mean that you will require less amendment and less chemical additions.

[Sharjeel39]

Hey thanks NEWTON!
Can you please tell me what home tests are you referring to??

[mikhurram]

What Newton Sahib is trying to convey is first you have determine the determine your soil test i.e. whether it's acidic or alkaline which can be done easily conducting the soil ph through strips or ph meter found in seed shops. Mostly the soil here in Pakistan is alkaline in nature. You can take this analysis further by determining the NPK content in your soil through kits available in some of the seed shops.
Next step would be to see soil ph required by plants which you intend to grow in your garden. Some plants like Ixora prefer acidic soil but some like Louisiana Iris thrive in alkaline medium. Some plants like roses cherish when cow manure is added but some like bearded iris hate cow manure as the nitrogen content is higher in cow manure etc. So if you intend to grow plants which require good drainage then 'Bhaloo reet' would be preferable. So each plant would have their specific requirement as to the soil medium and its ph.

Digging or tilling is bad for the soil. When the top soil is removed it contributes to soil erosion as important nutrients are leached out apart from destroying the beneficial micro-organisms like worms and fungi which enrich the soil are mostly present in the top soil. Also more watering is also required as the soil is now more disturbed and has less ability to conserve water. You may choose to practice 'No-dig" gardening' by using your compost. The details can be found in the middle part of the link shown below.
viewtopic.php?f=107&t=3080&start=10

[newton]

Find out if your soil is acidic or alkaline without a test kit.

Here's How:
1. Scoop some soil into a container. Then, add a half-cup of vinegar. If the soil bubbles or fizzes, it's alkaline.
2. If there's no reaction, scoop a fresh soil sample into a second container. Add a half-cup of water and mix. Then, add a half-cup of baking soda. If the soil bubbles or fizzes the soil is highly acidic.

3. Amend your soil with wood ash or lime, if it's acidic.
4. Amend your soil with sulfur or pine needles, if it's alkaline.

As amendments take time its best to make small additions and test the soil at intervals to establish changes.

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There are a number of simple tests you can do to determine the composition of soil. One method is to take a fistful of soil and squeeze it into a ball. If it is unable to hold its shape, your soil is probably too loose, or sandy. Now try to break the ball apart by pressing on it with your thumb. A good soil will break apart readily; if not, you probably have too much clay in your soil.

Another method is to take a couple of cups of soil and put them in a half-gallon jar half filled with water. Agitate the mixture until all the soil is in suspension and then let it settle overnight. The next day you will see that three distinct layers have formed: sand at the bottom, then the silt and at the top a layer of clay. An ideal garden soil, or loam, would be about 40% sand, 40% silt and 20% clay

The best way to amend a poor soil, whether sandy, clay or silty, is to add organic matter. If your soil is high in sand or silt, add a combination of topsoil and compost. If the problem is too much clay, add compost and some sand. Many gardeners advise never adding sand to soil as it can sometimes create a kind of concrete but when used in addition to organic matter, sand can help loosen clay soils and allow for proper drainage. If your soil is very heavy, i.e., high in clay, you may want to work with a raised bed. This will provide your plants with a little more drainage than they might have otherwise and won't entail replacing several tons of soil. A foot or so raised beds will provide sufficient growing medium for most plants.

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The moisture retentive qualities depend on your soil and lie of the land, these can also be amended if require through underground drainage pipes.

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The sunlight/shade/tree canopy exposure is unfortunately there all at the time and should be considered as a factor when choosing the plants. some plants do well in full sun and very poorly under the shade of a tree. and vice versa. planting incorrectly can lead to problems requiring intensive management with chemicals and pesticides, having more chemicals than an oil refinery in your garden is not a good thing.

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Just a few minutes thought about these things can help to create a garden that can develop and be enjoyed, after all any fool can go along and purchase a few plants, dig a hole and plonk them in.

[Sharjeel39]

I have tested my soil, it comes out to be alkaline.
But during the test the soil didn't fizz as i was hoping to see, no froth was observed but i can hear popping of bubbles.

Maybe its because i was unable to conduct the experiment correctly!!

A took out the soil from my garden added a cup of water in it, to make it slurry than added half of cup of apple based HEINZ vinegar.

That's how i did the test.

Was that the right way to do it?

[Sharjeel39]

I have tested my soil, it comes out to be alkaline.
But during the test the soil didn't fizz as i was hoping to see, no froth was observed but i can hear popping of bubbles.

Maybe its because i was unable to conduct the experiment correctly!!

A took out the soil from my garden added a cup of water in it, to make it slurry than added half of cup of apple based HEINZ vinegar.

That's how i did the test.

Was that the right way to do it?