Guide to Good Soil for Your Garden

Finally, it's good to test your soil for its acidic or alkaline level. For the steps on how to test the pH of your soil, see the Smart Gardening tip below.

Smart Gardening

Testing Soil for pH

Pick up a pH testing kit from your local county extension office (the local phonebook usually provides this information). At several spots in your yard, rake away 1 inch of topsoil (most organic matter is in the top 1 inch and can distort the test results). Take a soil sample 6 inches deep at each spot. Put the samples in the mailer that comes with the test kit and send it to the laboratory. The test results will indicate what your soil needs and in what amounts. If your soil is too alkaline, you will need to add sulfur. If it is too acidic, you'll need to add limestone.

To improve your soil, add compost that you have purchased from a garden center or made from yard waste. Add about 2 to 4 inches of compost helps retain moisture in sandy soil and allows clay soil to drain more easily. To blend the amendments, dig a 6-inch trench at one end of a garden bed where you have spread the compost. Place a spade 3 inches from the edge of the trench (see photo at right), drive it down 6 inches, and push the soil forward. Continue the length of the bed until all the soil has been mixed.

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