Gardening and landscaping take time and lots of planning. Year after year, as plants are grown and soil erodes, soil used for planting is leeched of important nutrients and minerals that keep your lawn and garden growing beautifully.

In order to keep your lawn and garden in tip-top shape for the growing season, it’s a good idea to amend the soil as early as possible before the panting season begins so that plants, trees, and shrubs can thrive when spring arrives. Keep reading below for tips on how to amend your soil and set your lawn up for success!

• Know what type of soil you have.

In much of Western North Carolina, there are a variety of soil types, but one of the most common is clay. Clay soil can be difficult soil to work with because it retains water and can make it very hard for plants to put down roots in it. WNC also has some sandy and loamy soil too, which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Knowing the type of soil you have can help you figure out the best way to amend it. If you don’t know what kind of soil you presently have in your lawn, refer to your county’s agricultural extension for testing.

• Check your soil’s pH.

Soil pH is important because different plants have different growing needs and conditions to thrive. If the pH is off, it can throw everything else off. Fortunately, soil pH can be amended relatively easily by either adding lime to raise the pH or adding sulfur to lower it. It’s best to get this taken care of before starting new plants, which is why fall and winter can be good times to do this so you don’t shock the plants you intend on growing with abrupt pH changes.

• Adjust the texture of the soil.

Soil texture is key to helping allow plants to grow proper roots and take up their daily recommended values of moisture and air. Adding organic material will be the best way to do this. Compost, manure, peat moss, grass clippings, and decaying organic matter such as leaves can do wonders for changing the soil quality and its texture and can help it become more fertile. To find your soil’s texture, a good tip is to make a ball of damp garden soil in your hand. If it breaks apart easily, it’s likely sandy, if it sticks together and you can press it between your fingers, it’s likely clay soil.

• Add nutrients based on a soil test.

There are many options for soil tests that exist for home gardeners today and can tell you approximately what nutrition your soil currently has. If you’re not sure you want to do it yourself, you can send a soil sample off to a lab and they can help you figure out what your soil is missing, needs more of, or has too much of, and adjust amendments accordingly.

To learn more about how to amend your soil for a successful planting season,  click here!