Does your landscape look like its declining? It could be unhealthy soil.
October 6, 2014 | By webadmin
The health and longevity of your plants depends on a number of factors: Adequate sun or shade, proper watering, timely planting, pruning and the quality of the soil all work together to create a gorgeous and thriving landscape. When we visit a new client who talks about noticing the decline of certain garden plants, lawns or trees in their landscape, we ask a lot of questions. Often, the focus will come to the soil. When was the last time it was amended or fed? Do you add organic matter each season? Often, the answer is either “no” or “it’s been a long time”. If your landscape just doesn’t look its best or certain plants are declining, it’s probably time to take a look at the foundation of your garden, which is your soil.
Soil is a living organism that needs to be fed in order to support healthy plants. Microorganisms in the soil digest organic matter, releasing important plant nutrients. When you amend the soil with things like organic compost and humus, you’re feeding the soil microbes so they can feed your plants. If your soil is compacted, as is common with our native North Texas soils, plants can both suffocate from a lack of oxygen or fail to thrive due to missing nutrients. Expanded shale will improve aeration in the soil so plants can get the oxygen they need and water can filter through the soil properly. As an added benefit, healthy soil also attracts earthworms. Earthworms are master aerators of your soil: As they move through the soil digesting organic matter, they create air pockets and deposit fertilizer. Finding an abundance of earthworms in your soil is a good sign.
Don’t confuse adding organic compost with plant fertilization. While compost will eventually break down and release some nutrients for plants it can take many months. The benefit of compost is that it helps loosen and aerate your soil and makes it more hospitable for soil microbes. As the health of soil improves, your lawn and landscape will take up nutrients and retain moisture more efficiently. In addition to soil amendments, we still recommend applying plant fertilizers to new plantings, lawns, trees and seasonal color to keep plants thriving.
Fall is a great time to begin feeding your soil. We offer multiple organic plans to improve and maintain the health of your landscape. Leave the work to us! Give us a call for details!
