Having the correct balance of soil is essential to growing happy and healthy plants. There are many factors that go into this, but rest assured there are simple solutions to help you fix any issues. Some soil problems are obvious, whereas others may require some basic testing and analysis to pick up on them.

Soil testing kits usually include multiple parts that allow you to test nitrogen, pH, phosphorous and potassium levels in the soil to help you determine what is needed to improve the quality.

Here are some common issues and easy ways to amend them.

1. pH is either too high or too low

If you see that your garden isn’t growing as expected, do a pH test, which is available from your local garden centre. Your soil shouldn’t be too acidic (low) or too alkaline (high). If it is one or the other, or you are growing something that likes acidic soils such as blueberries, you will need to make adjustments.

• Too high- Add pure sulphur to your soil, just be careful not to add too much if it is already planted out. Alternatively add compost or manure to help balance it out.
• Too low- Lime is a great fix, follow the instructions on the packet for the recommended dosage.

 

2. Lack of essential nutrients

Nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium are just some of the essential nutrients required for healthy soil and plants. Without them, you will not get the results you were expecting.

By adding compost, manure, seaweed and granite dust, you can give your soil the boost it needs.

 

3. Excess sodium

You will easily be able to see white specks of salt on the surface of your soil if there is excess sodium. It will cause toxicity in your garden and kill your plants.

If the toxicity levels aren’t extreme, you may be able to flush the soil with fresh water. Otherwise, you may need to replace the soil.

 

4. Texture problems

You may not always pay close attention to the size of the soil particles, but size does matter. Soil texture affects the movement and availability of nutrients, air and water in the soil.

An easy way to see what you have, is to do a soil ribbon test.

Using dry soil that has been run through a sieve, then take a small handful of soil, enough to fill your palm. Add enough water to mix and form a ball and knead for 1-2 minutes. Add more soil or water and knead until it stops sticking to your fingers. Note how it feels: gritty (sandy), silky (silty) or sticky (clay). If you can’t roll it into a ball at all, the soil is very sandy.

Gently press between you thumb and index finger to form a ribbon about 2-3mm thick. The longer the ribbon, the more clay present, shorter means more sand.

Adding more compost or sand to your soil as well as adding recommended clay breakers such as gypsum can help balance issues out.

Figure 1 This chart shows an approximate analysis of soil in ribbon form.

 

5. Lack of organic matter

Sometimes you may have old soil in a bed or you may have been unlucky and purchased inferior quality soil. Organic matter is essential for supplying nutrients and for helping to retain water. If your garden is missing organic matter, it won’t have the nutrients needed to make your plants thrive and survive.

An easy fix is to add compost, worm casting, and manure. We recommend doing this before each new season to keep your soil fresh and full of the healthy microbes to make your plants grow.

 

6. Hydrophobic soil

Often soil can become impermeable by water, also known as hydrophobia. This is usually because the soil has been compacted and won’t allow water to pass through. This is also common in soils that are old and haven’t been used for long periods of time.

To fix this issue, once again, add compost to your soil and mix through where possible or use as a mulch when not possible. There are also products available to add to your soil that are easily available at your local garden centre.

 

7. Soil-borne diseases

Although not common, they can occur. Crop rotation is a great way to prevent this from happening. You can leave your soil unplanted (fallow) for a year or two or use chemical treatments once you have identified them.