Avid gardeners know the plants they can grow will only be as good as the soil they are planted in. Top soil in Hartford, CT isn’t always ideal as a growing medium. Gardens require a fairly specific mix of soil, clay, sand, and organic material for maximum production. The best top soil has a loamy texture and allows proper drainage of the bed. Most of the time this can be accomplished by adding better-composed soil to the existing dirt.
Ideally, at the end of this process, the top soil will be composed of a small amount of clay, a larger amount of silt, and less than half of it should be sand. Often when purchasing top soil for gardening, additional nutrients must still be added. Don’t assume that replacing or replenishing the soil in a garden bed will preclude the need for fertilizer or other organic materials. Different plants have different nutritive needs, and it is up to the gardener to decide the best way to meet these needs. However, mixing in better-composed top soil in Hartford, CT is often a good start.
There are a variety of practiced and proven methods of additionally increasing the productivity of garden soil. Ensuring the soil quality is a good way to start. This can be accomplished by decreasing the amount of clay, silt, and other smaller soil particles by adding top soil that has more sand and by the introduction of organic matter. Avoiding working the soil directly after watering or rain is also helpful in avoiding soil compaction.
Soil is generally classified into three main categories: sand, silt, or clay. Clay and silt soils require more aeration while sandy soil requires less. Allowing too much air can speed up the decomposition process of any introduced organic matter too much. In addition to mixing in more sand, heavy top soil to clay or silt-based soils or raised beds can also improve drainage. Whether or not these are used, foot traffic to the area must be minimized, as this will compact the soil, further damaging aeration.
This is only one aspect of ensuring the right soil composition for gardening. Other factors like pH balance and nitrogen levels must also be considered. But, top soil is a great place to start! Visit website for more information.