Proper Soil Preparation
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Soil Preparation
Years of experience have taught the staff here at Rutgers Nursery that proper soil preparation is the key to successful gardening. Whether you’re looking for a bumper crop of vegetables, a profusion of flowers in your perennial border, a lush green lawn, or gorgeous trees and shrubs, proper soil cultivation is the first step to success. It’s an ongoing process that will reward you and your garden for years to come.
Soil Types
Soils in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania range in texture from sand to clay and everything in between. The biggest problem inherent to our native soil is clay. Heavy clay soils can be hazardous to many plants. Watering practices will vary depending on the soil, so it’s extremely important to know what your soil type is.
Sand
Sand is composed of large particles. Imagine yourself at the beach. You can see each grain of sand. Sandy soils drain quickly, and usually have a very low nutrient-holding capacity.
Clay
Clay soil is composed of very small particles, which aren’t visible to the eye. They’re flat, and stick together, creating a dense, impenetrable layer. Clay has a tendency to compact and to trap water. On the other hand, it often contains good nutrients.
Neither sand nor clay soil offer plants everything they need. This can create problems in the landscape. The following recommendations will help improve any soil so that you can have the best plants possible. Healthy, fertile soil aids plants in everything from getting proper nutrients to resisting disease. Soil can never be too good. There is always room for improvement. So grab your spade, and get started!
Steps to Improving Soil
Step 1
Test your soil’s pH. The pH is a measure of a soil’s acidity or alkalinity. The pH scale goes from 0 to 14. Most plants do best in a range of 6.2 to 6.8. The Rutgers University Co-operative Extension office provides soil testing services to New Jersey residents.
Step 2
Add peat moss at a rate of 4 cubic feet per 100 sq. feet. Peat moss is harvested from bogs. It’s used for improving soil structure. It has excellent water retention in sandy soils and will help aerate clay soils. Peat moss has no nutrient value. It is slightly acidic and may lower pH in you soil.
Step 3
Add cow manure at the rate of 40 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. Manure improves soil structure and it also contains nutrients. Dehydrated cow manure is steam processed, has no smell, and can be worked easily into the soil.
Step 4
Add Plant-tone® at the rate of 4 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. Plant-tone® is a slow-release organic fertilizer that breaks down in the soil, becoming accessible to plants without burning roots. Because it is organic, it will also improve soil structure.
Step 5
Once the materials are distributed evenly over the soil, incorporate them into the soil. The depth will depend on the type of plant material being planted. If you like exercising, a spading fork will do the job. (Avoid doing this during the heat of summer — it’s supposed to be fun!) Otherwise, use a rototiller. As anxious as you may be, especially in spring, avoid tilling the soil when it's wet. The soil will compact and clump, squeezing out air and ruining the soil texture. You will do more harm than good.
Hints
Soil can be worked anytime as long as it's not sopping wet or frozen. Fall is just as good a time as spring.
Hunterdon and Somerset county residents frequently have very heavy clay soil. If you have very clay soil or (soil that was flooded with salt water) we cannot convey how important the application of gypsum can be to improve soil texture. Use gypsum at a rate not exceeding 50 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. Gypsum doesn't change soil pH, just soil texture.
Add compost!! It's excellent for the soil. It adds texture, nutrients and beneficial bacteria. Compost can be added every year to constantly improve your soil. Do yourself a favor and start a compost pile. (See our information on Building a Compost Pile.)