Spring Fever

Now is the time, of course - before you plant - to best prepare your soil. If it's a large area that needs help, get on the phone and find a place that sells organic materials by the truckload. If you need more than five cubic yards, you'll end up saving money even after paying extra for a delivery charge.

As mentioned, among the most common amendments available are wood products and manure. Be advised that wood products - although helpful - tend to use up nitrogen in the soil. It's best to mix in some sources of nitrogen, too. This can include manures, which are among the cheapest type of amendments around. Weed-free packaged manures should be advised, though. Raw manures must be aged or it not only will "burn" plants, but you'll have weeds coming up everywhere.

Other amendments may include sand, vermiculite, perlite (sponge rock), gypsum, straw, leaf mold, bark chips, ground bark and Milorganite (sewage sludge all the way from Milwaukee). There's a host of others, too, but suffice it to say that adding almost anything to existing hardpan soil will help. Your plants will surely thank you for it later by rewarding you with more colorful flowers and tastier vegetables.

To learn more about soil types, testing and adding organic amendments and fertilizers, check out HomeTime's How-To Center.

Time Life has a project directory with a host of topics, including soil amendments.

If you want to get technical into the science of soils, consider the West Virginia University Extension Services. The North Carolina DA Agronomic Division also has information on topsoils..

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