Adding Organic Matter (5002)

Poor soils produce poor plants. Garden soils that contain a high percentage of clay may inhibit good root growth. On the other hand, soils that are very sandy allow water and nutrients to drain through before they can be taken up by plant roots. Organic matter should be added to your soil on a regular basis to improve soil structure and increase soil fertility. Organic matter will help your soil:

-   hold more water
-   provide major and minor nutrients to plant roots
-   increase root penetration
-   warm up more quickly in the spring

For best gardening results, the top 8 inches of your soil should be 1/3 organic matter by volume. This would require the addition of 8 cubic yards of organic matter per 1,000 sq. ft. of garden. Organic matter can be added in many forms, including composted yard waste, aged farmyard manure, plant residues, cover crops, grass clippings and fallen leaves, or buried kitchen scraps. It is best to incorporate large quantities of un-composted organic matter in the fall to allow time for complete decomposition. When turning under high carbon materials in the spring, like straw or leaves that have a high carbon content, always add a source of nitrogen to prevent a nitrogen deficiency in your garden plants.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

Feel free to forward, post or reprint any of the "Solutions" in their entirely, but please credit http://www.solutions.psu.edu/ as the original source of information, and please do not change the content.