Soil basics
Understand the material your plants depend on.
Potting mix and garden soil do different jobs
A container changes the conditions in which roots, air, and water meet.
Compost is not a complete potting mix
Finished garden compost is useful, but its job is usually to improve another growing material.
What perlite contributes to a mix
The white particles are there for structure, not as little pieces of fertilizer.
Vermiculite and perlite are not interchangeable
Similar-looking bagged ingredients can change a growing medium in different ways.
Coir needs more than water to become a growing system
A compressed block expands, but expansion alone does not make a complete plant diet.
Bark in potting mix has a structural role
Particle size and preparation matter more than the fact that it came from a tree.
Get to know a peat-free mix
A different surface appearance may call for a different checking habit.
Do not pack potting mix into a solid block
Roots need support, but the medium also needs open spaces.
Store an opened bag of potting mix well
Keep the material identifiable, protected, and suitable for its next use.
Can used potting mix be reused?
The previous plant and the medium's condition should decide the answer.
Get a first impression of your garden soil
A simple touch test gives clues, but it is not a nutrient or contamination test.
Improve clay soil without working it wet
Timing and protection from compaction matter as much as what you add.
Help sandy soil hold onto moisture
Work on water retention and planting choice without expecting the texture to disappear.
Find out what a soil pH result means
Test results help match plants and amendments to the ground you have.
Take a soil sample that represents the bed
Good sampling makes the laboratory result more useful.
Mulch the soil, not the plant's crown
A surface layer can conserve moisture while leaving stems room to breathe.
Keep soil covered between plantings
An empty bed does not have to remain an exposed surface for months.
Pre-moisten a dry bagged mix
Even moisture before planting can make the first watering easier to manage.
Mushrooms in a flower pot
Fungal growth can accompany organic material without proving the plant is diseased.
Read fertilizer numbers without guessing a dose
The numbers describe nutrient content, while the directions tell you how to use the product.