Soil conditioners are additives that make beneficial changes to the dirt in your yard or garden. By adding certain conditioners to the soil, you can alter the soil pH of your garden to make it more hospitable to your plants.
The soil pH level of your garden has a big effect on your ability to grow healthy plants. A soil pH that is too low (acidic soil) or too high (alkaline soil) will limit your plants' ability to absorb nutrients from the soil.
Soil conditioners can be applied over your entire garden and allowed to leach into the soil. It is more effective to get you soil conditioners in to the ground either by tilling the soil or mixing them directly into soil as you put plants into the ground.
Testing, Testing…
Prior to adding any soil conditioner, you should test your soil either with a manual test kit, a soil pH meter or by sending a sample to a testing lab or county extension. With test results in hand, you'll be able to determine what adjustments need to be made to your soil.
Lowering Your Soil pH
Sulfur dust or aluminum sulfate will lower the soil pH of your garden. Aluminum sulfate dissolves into the ground faster, but it is easier to avoid over-amending your soil with sulfur.
When applying sulfur or aluminum sulfate, be sure to rinse off any plants that get the material on them. These soil conditioners can burn the leaves of plants if left on for extended periods.
Increasing Your Soil pH
Lime is the perfect soil conditioner for raising your soil pH. Agricultural lime is available at most garden centers and can be applied using a spreader. Be sure to check the instructions for application methods and recommended strength.
The Ultimate Soil Conditioner
Regardless of the soil pH of your garden, compost is a great overall soil conditioner. Organic compost will improve the drainage in clay soils and will give nutrients a firm place in sandy soils. Compost will also create a buffer to protect plants from the worst effects of high and low soil pH.
Soil pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline your soil is. The number you get when you test your soil's pH can tell you whether your plants are likely to thrive in your garden spot or not. Luckily, if the answer is no, there are ways to change your soil's pH and make your garden into a more hospitable environment for your vegetables, flowers and lawn. |
 | Plants make their own food, but they sometimes need a helping had from fertilizer. By conducting a soil test and knowing how to read a fertilizer bag, you'll be able to make choices that benefit your plants instead of harming them. |
 | The types of soil in your garden are a key element in whether it succeeds or fails. |
 | |&&|Sandy soil quickly loses water and nutrients. Learn which plants will thrive in these challenging conditions. |
In order to grow successfully, your plants need good soil. This includes the right drainage, pH balance, and conditions. Without good soil, valuable time and investment will probably be lost. Since most soils need some amount of improvement, here are some things you can do to help them along. |
