Sometimes, there is no need to spend budget on improving garden soil. I mean that you can definitely make use of natural or “trash” materials available in your house. These are not only friendly to environment but also effective in improving the quality of garden soil. The point here is you know them and how to let these best do their work. As patience comes when you do anything, you need also have this with this DIY garden project.
So, here are 8 easy inexpensive ways to improve garden soil I would like to share you guys. Improving soil in your garden can be free now. I’ve applied some for my vegetable garden and it worked. As the soil is qualified, it enables the plants to grow better and produce more. That would be the aim of any gardener with their garden. Nothing is better than big crops. If you want to harvest more with your garden, just give these a look. Let’s dive right in!
#1 Chopped Leaves (or Leaf Mold)
Fallen leaves are powerful support for your gardening! Leaves are a natural source of minerals and carbon, and good food for earthworms and other microbes. They can also lighten heavy clay soils and maintain moisture in lighter sandy soils.
To let leaves do best for your garden soil, you should chop them before adding them to the garden. Place them on top of garden beds to decompose through the winter and early spring. Then, you can either till them in or use them as a base of a no-till garden. Leaf mold can greatly improve your soil quality and it rivals peat moss in its ability to retain moisture.
#2 Wood Chips
Wood chips can be used as a top mulch for the garden. Amazingly, this natural mulch works well for your soil. It helps reduce soil erosion, less weeds to compete for nutrients, and better water retention.
They can also increase the nutrients in the soil as they break down and compost on top of it.
#3 Kitchen Scraps
Your kitchen scraps can add something different to your garden soil. Coffee grounds, banana peel, egg shells! They are good things to improve the nutrients in soil.
You may add these to your compost pile daily and apply it to your garden when it has decomposed. Dig it into your soil immediately.
#4 Hay or Straw
Using hay or straw for gardening, and you’re adding add a large amount of green matter to your soil. It’s best used as a top dressing and allow it to decompose on the soil adding organic matter and nutrients as it does.
#5 Wood Ash
Another wood waste that can improve the quality of garden soil is wood ash. It’s a good source of potassium and calcium as well as micronutrients from the trees from which the wood came.
Here is what wood ash does for your soil: improve the pH of your soil, making it more alkaline- which means keep it away from acid-loving plants such as blueberries. It is best to spread wood ash in fall, and throughout winter, but stopping a good few weeks before spring planting.
#6 Coffee Grounds
Let coffee grounds do a favor for your garden soil! When mixed into the soil or compost, it will improve your soil structure, tilth, and even help to repel certain pests. The grounds contain a lot of nitrogen, which is great for those heavy feeders in your garden.
Coffee grounds are highly acidic, making them perfect for those acid- loving plants. I have read recent conflicting research both dispelling this and proving it.
#7 Manure
Manure from any farm animals is also a simple way to improve your soil. Add it to your garden beds, and these will be filled with nutrients that help improve your garden soil and feed your plants.
Chickens. Goats. Cows. Alpacas. Sheep. Rabbit. Horses. All are great sources of manure. If you don’t have any of these animals yourself, check in your community.
#8 Urine
A human waste that helps a lot with your gardening is urine. It is actually one of the best soil amendments and fertilizers around. Urine is super high in nitrogen and contains phosphorus and potassium (You know, NPK fertilizers?)
Human urine also contains a lot of other trace nutrients, all of which are very readily available for your plants. You can mix urine with water or rig a composting toilet of sorts with some saw dust in a bucket.