Organic matter comes in many forms, but theyre not all created equal. Most people begin by going out into their yards with a shovel or garden tiller, digging up the dirt and putting in a few plants. Wood chips (AKA arborist mulch or municipal tree waste) are excellent at suppressing weeds and preventing erosion, and they look gorgeous doing it. Improves your soils ability to retain moisture and nutrients. Jul 27, 2018 | Just remember to spread it 3 to 6 inches away from the trunk to keep your tree safe. A FAVORITE! How Do You Add Organic Matter to Your Lawn? Its a nutrient-rich mixture of decomposing organic matter from table scraps to fallen leaves to grass clippings and you can make it all by yourself. I was Donald Lauer | Apply 3 to 4 inches of well-finished compost or manure over the surface of your gardens and landscape beds and work it into the sandier soil. If your yard has been treated with a harsh herbicide like 2,4-D or Banvel, youll have to wait months before your grass clippings are usable. If you're using unfinished (raw) organic matter like leaves or undecomposed manure, add it to your soil at least one month before planting. As a home owner and as someone with garden centre experience, I know plenty about backyard and lawn care products. Decaying organic matter helps sandy soil by retaining water that would otherwise drain away. You can also run your lawnmower over fallen leaves, cutting them up into small pieces, in the autumn. Apr 24, 2015. Aerate your lawn as this will improve drainage, air circulation and allow water and nutrients to get down to the roots where they are needed most. Presentation on soil chemistry and related soil topics. Pine needles are excellent for acid-loving garden veggies like tomatoes, celery, cauliflowers, and carrots. News story. In your yard, these may also include leaves, grass clippings and kitchen compost. Overall, using organic matter instead helps the environment and keeps you and your loved ones healthier as you enjoy your yard. A drawback to the free mulch pull? Get ahead of the game by making homemade seed mix. There are many good reasons to use seaweed in your garden. You can choose from a variety of straw from wheat and timothy to oat, rye, and barley. Though 5% doesn't sound like a lot, that organic matter component makes a world of difference. The hardest part is making the bin and that's not difficult. Leaf mold and humus have moderate but balanced nutrient levels, and also contain many minor nutrients. There are other ways you can soften up hard soil, but this article will focus on the easiest method-adding organic matter. Applying gypsum is easy to do and is a relatively cheap way to improve the heaviest of clay soils. Either one should be finished, meaning its a crumbly, dark brown that smells like loamy earth. MORE INFO . Make sure cocoa hulls arent left wet for an extended period. Instead of leaving soil naked, coat it with cover crops. The downsides to straw? Jan 17, 2020 | Fluff up your sawdust every spring to keep soil healthy, and break it up when you notice it beginning to form a mat. Avoid adding leaves infected with anthracnose, scab, or leaf spot, as they can spread disease to your lawn. 3. Instead, when the soil is moist and the air is cool, add a 1/4-inch layer of compost and then do core aeration. Pro Tip: Compost (and most mulch) is terrific for tree roots, but never apply it directly around tree trunks. PGF Complete lawn fertilizer Sold in 18 and 40 lb bags. If you cant wait for leaves to decompose, apply coarsely shredded dry leaves. A natural by-product of the lumber and paper industries, tree bark comes in many varieties of hardwood and softwood, with sizes ranging from finely shredded to larger nuggets. Want instant greenery without the hassle of spreading mulch? A little bit of organic matter goes a long way towards a lush lawn. Presentation. As the grass clippings decompose, they leech nitrogen back into your soil. You can stop clover from overtaking your yard by adding more organic matter high in nitrogen (like in the form of fresh grass clippings) or let the clover do its work. Its a good idea to call your cooperative extension office before planting. #514-1231 Pacific Blvd You can buy it in bags or have it delivered by the truckload. Cocoa bean hulls are an aromatic, attractive byproduct of chocolate that can beautify your flower garden. Straw is the dry, hollow stalks of grains after they have been harvested. Heres some information to help you determine which type(s) of organic matter is best suited to your garden. Theyre springy and resist soil compaction so you can cut back on aerating your lawn. {"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"articleState":{"article":{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T21:43:49+00:00","modifiedTime":"2016-03-26T21:43:49+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:10:24+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Garden & Green Living","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33916"},"slug":"garden-green-living","categoryId":33916},{"name":"Gardening","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33917"},"slug":"gardening","categoryId":33917},{"name":"Vegetables","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33924"},"slug":"vegetables","categoryId":33924}],"title":"How to Improve Garden Soil with Organic Matter","strippedTitle":"how to improve garden soil with organic matter","slug":"how-to-improve-garden-soil-with-organic-matter","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Organic matter is the key to amending less-than perfect garden soil. This layer is composed largely of decaying organic matter. Wood chip mulch looks lovely around trees, pathways, and perennial gardens. 35 Inexpensive Organic Fertilizers When your garden is ready for organic fertilizer, here are 35 effective, affordable homemade options to consider: Worm Castings: Worm castings are soil superfood! You can also add peat moss, coco coir, or vermiculite to your soil to help improve moisture retention. And since plants are healthier and already receiving the nutrients they need, you can stop using (or only use in spots as needed) synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides. Pro Tip: Always use straw rather than hay. If you use manure, make sure it has been sitting around for a year or two, so it's decomposed, and the salts have been leached out. This free compost may not be finished, however, and you will need to let it continue composting before applying. A thick layer of it gives unwanted rodents the perfect hiding place. Straw is highly flammable, so do not apply it near a fire pit. Organic mulches are like a healthy picnic for your lawn. Although chicken and rabbit manure can be applied as-is, unfinished cow or horse manure may burn your lawn. To fix mucky clay or sandy sand soil, add plenty of organic matter. Soils should have a pH of between 5.5 and 7.5 to allow for most things to grow properly. And best of all, using organic matter to create healthier soil means less time caring for your lawn and more time enjoying it! Many ground covers attract pollinators and create a beautiful habitat for native animals and insects, so you can enjoy a lovely butterfly show while enriching your soil. Synthetic chemicals then wash off into nearby streams, affecting the local ecosystems. One particular area (where the septic drainfield dominates the area) the organic matter content is 1.4%. Where to mulch: Straw will give your vegetable beds and freshly sown lawn a healthy layer of protection. Where to mulch: A thick layer of pine needles is perfect in annual, perennial, and vegetable garden beds and around acid-loving trees and shrubs. Compost is every gardeners dream soil amendment. Some manures (such as horse manure) add organic matter and some nutrients to your soil, but they're also loaded with bedding materials (like dried hay) that cause the same problem that adding sawdust causes.