Testing the Soil

You’ll also want to go to your local nursery or consult with a gardening expert to be sure you understand what your soil needs before you buy your first plants.

Soil testing kits are fairly inexpensive. They will give you a reading on your soil’s pH and levels of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen. This will help you know whether you need to add any supplements to your soil. You can also buy a soil testing kit online. You’ll also want to go to your local nursery or consult with a gardening expert to be sure you understand what your soil needs before you buy your first plants.

PH Testing Controls

The quickest way for you to determine soil composition is to use pH testing controls. You should test your soil for its acid and alkaline levels before you buy your first plants, since some plants will only grow if the soil has been properly balanced to support them.

Maintaining harmony is the principle tenet of organic gardening. As plants use up the nutrients in the soil, you may have to replenish what's been taken out. At the same time, as some crops grow, others die and go back into the soil. The continual turning of the life cycle is purposeful in thriving organic gardens.

It's good to have an overall plan for your garden. You probably know which vegetables you want to grow, the types of orchids and other flowers you like, and the shrubs you intend to grow around your garden. But before you buy your plants, hire a lab to test your soil or buy your own pH testing controls and do it yourself.

A Champ pH tester will give you single-point calibration, an LCD display that’s easy to read, and long
battery life. After getting a reading of your soil's pH, you can buy what you need to increase the alkaline or acid content of your soil. If you have questions about growing specific plants or crops, your local nursery or garden store can give you advice. You can also go online and access any of several good organic gardening newsgroups.

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