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How to Get Great Garden SoilGarden soil is one of the top five most important factors in tomato garden success. I've also noticed it's the first thing gardeners blame when things go wrong, especially in the absence of an obvious culprit. So, is it helpful to import your garden soil?
Not necessarily. Once I purchased an organic, garden soil mix and here's my sad soil story. It's a better idea to examine the soil you have around you. Obviously you will have to fill your raised beds with soil that is moved from one place to another. But soil already present in it's native environment is more likely to have a balance of elements. Check to see how quickly it drains, whether or not it supports worms and how well other plants (even if they are weeds) are growing in it. You can also have it tested for pH, nutrients and microbiology. If I would have evaluated my native soil in the first place, I could have amended it to fit the requirements of my tomato sauce garden, saved a lot of time and money, and grown more tomato sauce in less time. For about $15, You can have your soil tested for pH and nutrients by the University of Massachusetts. Your results will include a list of soil amendments that are recommended for your garden. You can also have your soil tested for microbiology. Here are links to laboratories that provide this information:
Improving Soil Naturally As it turns out, garden soil can be improved without expending so much time, effort and money. We now enjoy the best harvests with the least amount of work and you can too. Start by composting all winter right in your tomato beds. This technique will prevent your soil from becoming compacted in the rain and snow. Next, brew your own compost tea. You can spray this solution all over your plants, the soil, and your lawn. This way, the good microbes will outcompete the bad microbes both on the plants and in the soil. If you want to get really serious about your garden soil, a must-read is "Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web" by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis and published by Timber Press. This book includes tests you can do yourself to evaluate the quality of your soil. From this book, I found out that encouraging worms and microbes brings nutrients to the soil that are ready for the plants to incorporate. I also learned that a healthy balance of microbes in the soil discourages pests that can damage plants. This may sound too simple, but honestly winter composting and compost tea are the only two things I now do for my soil and I am harvesting more tomato sauce than ever.
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