How can I make my garden soil better?

Amoore
by Amoore
Have added compost, peat moss, purchased bags of garden soil to my garden soil and preen and other fertilizers. What would be the best to get my soil in top shape to get better yields.
thanks, april

  7 answers
  • Purchase a soil testing kit to see what it needs. Then adjust soil supplements to what you plan on growing. Also your local Ag Extension should be able to help you.

  • Mary DeRose Petrino Mary DeRose Petrino on Feb 13, 2018

    Maneur , labeled natural fertilizer.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Feb 13, 2018

    add some grit too.......for drainage.

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Feb 13, 2018

    Other than testing the soil, it sounds like you have it covered. I have put sterilized manure in when I till the garden, but I don't do it every year, maybe every other year.

  • Ken Ken on Feb 13, 2018

    If you believe there is something wrong with your soil, indiscriminately adding materials is not a smart thing to do. You are attempting to correct which condition? There are many avenues to getting a soil test, a list of them is as far away as a Google search. Here is what Lowe's has to offer:


    https://www.lowes.com/projects/lawn-and-garden/test-and-improve-your-soil/project

  • Jackie Jackie on Feb 13, 2018

    If you can get some old horse manure and mix it well you will be amazed! If not horse, sheep or cow works great too.

  • Gale Allen Jenness Gale Allen Jenness on Feb 13, 2018

    If your using the preen I’m thinking of, that’s to stop plants from germinating and that’s going to work against you in your garden in my opinion. Everything else you’re doing should be about all you can do, long as your doing your composting correctly and not over fertilizing? There is too much of a good thing! If your using bags of garden soil. It’s ok, but I usually go to a landscaping company or rockery and try to buy 4 to 1 garden soil that has everything in it already for good gardening soil. You don’t need to add anything to the soil except a little fertilizer to your plants and your good to grow!

    BTW, have you checked out key hole raised beds yet? I ran into these on YouTube and I’m excited to build some this year myself for gardening! You build them just like a key hole with a center circle that you add your compost to as you go with your scrapes and leaves, etc. I guess this way been done for centuries in places like Africa. To me it a great idea and a easier way to add compost to the garden! Check them out if interested on YouTube!