Kathy Berryhill
Creek County Master Gardener
If you have recently shopped for landscape plants, you may be suffering from sticker shock! Prices are higher this year, so your planting dollars will not go as far. Many factors go into producing a pleasing garden or flowerbed. Purchasing quality plants is a good start. But knowing what your dirt contains is essential.
For happy and healthy plants to grow, the dirt must contain proper nutrients. Additionally, the nutrients must be easily available to the plant roots. Loose, well-drained soil is beneficial to the plant. Healthy plants fight off insects and disease. But if the dirt is too sandy and porous, the nutrients won’t stay in the soil. Or if the dirt is too compact and heavy, the nutrients won’t be released. A great way to know what’s in your soil is to have a soil sample tested by the Creek County Extension Office. Soil can then be improved based on the results.
But many of us fall into the category of the lazy-but-well-intended gardener, who thrive on shortcuts, but definitely want the stunning results. Let me share with you two of the shortcuts I’ve used this year. I credit them to a long-time gardening friend that consistently produces stunning results in her yard.
The secret for container pots? Easy. Replace the soil in the container every year. That’s right. Dump out last year’s soil and replace it with a reputable potting soil that is perfectly balanced with nutrients. To make this task easier on my budget, I pay close attention to sales to get the best price, saving up to 40% of the purchase price. Digging out the old soil may surprise you. Not only are most of the old nutrients used up, but much of the old soil is tightly compacted and full of old roots. As for the old dirt from the containers? It still has some value, so it is spread in places around my yard to supplement and fill in low spots.
But when working in gardens or flowerbeds, the task is a little more involved. For this soil I use the “Teel Mix,” named after my gardening friend. Combine 1 bag each of the following: Mushroom compost, peat compost, cotton burr compost and cow manure compost. As each of these products have already been stabilized and will not chemically burn plant roots, this mix goes directly into the ground. While I have yet to replace an entire bed, each plant that goes into the ground this year has the old dirt removed and is planted directly into this mix.
I’m confident that both myself and my plants will be doing a happy dance when the results appear!
Happy gardening!
