Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
What is the Best Soil Mix for Vegetable Gardens?
What is the Best Soil Mix for Vegetable Gardens?. Modifying less-than-optimum soil for the vegetable garden is a long-term process. Nature does not always provide homes the right combination of soil structure and pH. Knowing what is best helps provide a guideline for bringing your soil into better focus.
Modifying less-than-optimum soil for the vegetable garden is a long-term process. Nature does not always provide homes the right combination of soil structure and pH. Knowing what is best helps provide a guideline for bringing your soil into better focus.
Measuring Soil
Soil is measured by the underlying structure of its mineral components, pH balance and the amount of organic material present. Having the proper balance for all three makes soil productive.
Good Tilth
Soil with either too much clay or sand is not good. Clay soil is nutritious but has problems getting the nutrients free from the clay and available to the plants. Sandy soil has few nutrients since they all easily wash away. Gardeners can modify a small garden bed or a raised one by adding several cubic yards of topsoil and compost.
pH Balance
A soil that is heavily imbalanced towards the alkaline or acid side is not a good mix. A 7.0 on the pH scale is considered an equal balance with most vegetable plants preferring a pH of about 6.0 to 6.5, or a slightly alkaline tilt. Adding various minerals, such as lime, can change pH, but the treatment only lasts several years.
Compost
Soil with a poor amount of organic material is unhealthy soil. Up to 30 percent of the soil mixture should be compost, according to horticulturist Donald H. Steinegger of the University of Nebraska, with at least a minimum of 10 percent.
