Tips for Amending Your Soil

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Tips for Amending Your Soil

If you are a landscaper that is trying to improve your lawn or garden beds, one of the first things you should do is check the soil. Without soil that is rich in nutrients, your plants will never be able to reach their full potential. This is an often-overlooked landscaping activity that results in poor performance until it is corrected. If you think your soil might be holding your landscaping back, you should perform a soil test to figure out exactly what it is made up of. That way, you can invest in products like soil amendments to improve the quality of your soil and keep your outdoor space looking great.

Why Use Soil Amendments?

Soil amendments can play an important role in any landscape. The idea is simple – use soil amendments to change and improve the soil on your property. A soil amendment will literally change the composition of the soil itself. When you use soil amendments the right way, you will see a huge change in your landscaping performance. They can typically benefit your soil in three different ways. First, soil amendments will add nutrients to the ground that help your plants grow healthy and strong. Things like compost, clay, and peat will instantly add nutrients to your soil and promote healthy plant growth. Soil amendments will also improve the soil structure on your property so that plants can soak up all of the nutrients and water that they need to thrive. Finally, improved water retention is another reason to consider using soil amendments in your landscaping.

Below, we’ve put together a brief list of tips for amending your soil so that you know exactly how to approach using this valuable landscaping product. If you are interested in learning more about soil amendments or you would like to purchase them, reach out to Cal Blend Soils today.

Tip 1 – Figure Out What Your Soil is Like

As we mentioned earlier, performing a soil test is usually the best way to determine what kind of soil you are working with on your property. Soil that contains high levels of clay, rocks, sand, or silt will all require different approaches. If your soil receives heavy foot traffic, the chances are good that you will need to aerate the soil before working in a soil amendment. If you are dealing with sandy soil, you will need to work in soil amendments like compost to help the soil get better at retaining water. Soil that is heavy in clay content will need to be dealt with when it is dry, as it can be difficult to work with when wet. It’s all about figuring out what type of soil you have and creating a plan of attack that makes sense.

Tip 2 – Add a Thin Layer to Your Lawn

If you are planning to add soil amendments to your lawn in order to improve the way that your grass grows, it requires a different approach. The ideal way to apply soil amendments to your lawn is to add a thin layer of them over the areas of your lawn that are not growing the way that you’d like them to. This can help you deal with common lawn problems like bare spots, compacted soil, and low spots caused by things like tree roots or underground cables. This method of using soil amendments on your lawn in a thin layer is also known as top-dressing. It can really make a difference in the way your grass is growing over time.

Tip 3 – Only Purchase the Best Quality Soil Amendments

Many landscapers are tempted to buy the most affordable landscaping products that they can find on the market to save some money on their investment. However, this is not the right approach as it can lead to poor results. That’s why another smart tip for amending your soil is to only purchase the best quality soil amendments. Buying in bulk from a reliable landscaping products supplier like Cal Blend Soils will help you achieve the results you are looking for and make your life easier as a landscaper. If you really want your soil amendments to make a positive impact, buying high-quality soil amendments is the way to go.

Tip 4 – Learn About Soil pH

Another great tip for amending your soil is to learn a little bit about soil pH and what it means. Soil pH refers to the levels of alkalinity or acidity in your soil. It’s measured on a scale from 0 to 14 and can provide you with some valuable insight into what the soil on your property is like. This is an important measure because it directly impacts how plants are able to absorb and use nutrients. If your soil has a pH level between 6 and 8, you should be able to grow most plants without issues. However, anything outside of that range can result in problems. There’s an easy way to test the pH levels in your soil, simply invest in a pH meter or a test kit to check certain soil samples in areas of your property.

Tip 4 – Add Soil Amendments to Garden Beds

If you are doing gardening, adding a layer of soil amendments to the garden beds on a consistent basis will certainly be helpful. It will provide plants like vegetables with the organic nutrients they need to reach their full potential. Top dressing your garden beds can also prevent weeds from growing and help to retain moisture in the soil so that you end up with a garden that is flourishing.


Final Thoughts

Investing in soil amendments is a great move for any landscaper that wants to take things to the next level. Keep the tips above in mind to make the most out of your soil amendments and remember to reach out to Cal Blend Soils if you are interested in purchasing the best quality landscaping products at great prices.