The Garden Soil – Everyone Needs Some Support Sometimes

Especially after the winter, the garden soil is completely exhausted. No wonder, because the cold and frost not only affect the gardener but also the garden itself. The past gardening year has used up many nutrients, so new ones need to be added!

To ensure that the plants start the new gardening year fresh and healthy, the garden soil must provide optimal conditions. And that can only happen if the soil in the garden gets a little support in early spring.

If you don't already have compost in your garden, you should start one now. Compost soil is the best thing that can happen to your garden soil. Compost brings many nutrients that the garden soil can really use after the winter. It not only increases the humus content in the soil but also loosens clayey and compacted soils, providing plants with a loose and well-drained ground. Unlike other fertilizers or substrates, compost soil has the advantage of fitting into any garden soil and benefiting it. And with ready-made composters that can be purchased at garden centers, producing fresh compost soil becomes easy. The soil can be simply taken from the bottom of the composter and used. It doesn’t get better than that!

Of course, a garden never works without effort. Therefore, the first physical labor is needed in spring when it comes to improving and supporting the garden soil. Grab your spade and shovel and start digging! In spring, the soil is turned over once and smoothed with a rake. This is a good time to incorporate horn shavings into the garden soil. These break down slowly and provide the garden soil with nutrients over an extended period. You can mix about 100 grams of horn shavings per square meter along with the compost soil. If you're unsure about the condition of your garden soil, you can have a soil analysis done every few years. However, the "normal" measures with compost soil and horn shavings are usually sufficient.

In nature, there are hardly any areas that are not covered with vegetation. The same goes for the soil in your own garden. Naturally, the garden soil feels most comfortable when it is well-covered. This doesn’t mean weeds should be allowed to overgrow, but evergreen ground covers are ideal during winter. They provide natural protection and also look good. Ground covers can protect the garden soil from heavy rainfall as well. Leaving dead plant parts in the bed also benefits the garden soil. Grass and leaves protect the soil from evaporation, and in the process, earthworms enjoy the protective cover. In spring, the beds are cleared of leaves, grass, or branches so that the soil can breathe and start the new gardening year fresh. By following these tips, you’ll enjoy your plants for a long time and give your garden soil some well-deserved care.