Most garden soil is lacking in something, but there are ways to improve the basic structure of any soil so that your plants can thrive in the environment. You can make a clay soil more penetrable for example, or a sandy soil better able to retain water.
Organic matter is made up of broken down plant or animal compounds. Adding some form of organic matter is the best way to amend your soil so that it can be ready to accept your garden plants.
If you want to use leaves and twigs or pure manure add it to the soil well before you are ready to plant so that it can decompose before you do Otherwise it may be too strong and burn your plantings.
Compost is an excellent material to add to your soil. Your landscape contractor can bring it in by the truckload if necessary, but he will recommend a two inch layer for a new garden or if your soil is particularly sandy or contains a lot of clay. if your garden is well established and you have had success with it in the past, less compost will be needed.
Flower and vegetable gardens are good candidates for composting. The small roots of the plants may not be able to penetrate the dirt clods that are likely to form in unamended soil.
Adding sand to clay soil is a common mistake that gardeners often make. First of all, it would take an extraordinary amount of sand to make a difference – about 4 inches of sand to every 6 inches of soil which, depending on the area of your garden space could take up a lot of your free time. A landscape contractor will have a better solution.
Your landscaper may recommend using peat moss for sandy soils. It breaks down slowly so that re-applications won’t be necessary as often, and it allows the soil to hold water longer.
Rely on the expertise of CoCal Landscape professionals when you need help planning your own garden. Call them @ 303-578-4788.