Soil

Proper soil for tomato growing is not difficult to establish. With some basic information about what tomatoes need to thrive and soil components to make that happen, you will enjoy a healthy...

Transferring earthworms to your garden is a great way to enrich your soil and keep it loose so that your plants' roots can grow deep and strong. Earthworms eat organic matter and generate waste...

Good topsoil comprises about thirty percent clay, thirty percent sand and thirty percent silt with an organic matter content of five to twenty percent or better. To replicate true topsoil, a...

The coconut can do more than top a cake or fall on your head when you are on a tropical island. Coir, a fiber extracted from the outer husk, is used in the manufacture of soil treatments, rope and...

Making a good organic fertilizer means more that simply spreading the byproducts of your compost heap into the soil of your garden. Organic fertilizers are both renewable and made of natural...

Anyone who has pet rabbits knows how much rich manure they produce each day. Since rabbits are herbivores, their manure contains excellent nutrients for your garden soil. Rabbit pellets can be...

If you live in an area plagued by clay soil, you may find that your yard is prone to flooding when it rains or that your garden plants grow poorly. Dense and compacted, clay soil causes poor...

Understanding how the irrigation of your lawn or garden soil is important to preventing your plants and trees from drying out or drowning, which can lead to root rot. Moisture in your soil is...

As any architect will tell you, a house built to stand the test of time requires a strong foundation. The same holds true for healthy, productive gardens and lawns which require a foundation of...

Soil pollution has many sources, from agriculture to industry to human activity. Polluted soils affect harm life and, in turn, wildlife. Depending upon the polluting agent, pollutants can persist...

Composting cuts down on the amount of waste hauled to already-stressed landfills and it can provide a continuous, renewable source of nutrient-rich fertilizer for your houseplants, lawn and...

Compost is a nutrient rich organic soil amendment that you can create at home. Using worms in your compost will give you the rich compost you want quicker than regular composting. Compost can be...

Turn your organic kitchen waste into a rich soil amendment using the process of vermicomposting. Red worms consume the waste products and produce castings. Castings are a nutrient rich addition in...

Compost is a rich soil amendment that often makes up at least a third of many seed starting mixes and homemade potting soils. While the high temperatures in the compost pile kills many weed seeds...

Earthworms and roundworms are often mistaken for each other. While they may look similar to the eye, an individual would have to look deep inside these worms to see how they are really different.

Because they both have large dark green leaves, tomato and potato plants can often look similar. While tomato plants bear fruit which hang from the plant's stems, a potato plant grows the potatoes...

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, yard trimmings and food make up 24 percent of solid waste in the United States. These organic materials can easily be made into compost, which is...

Miracle Grow is an artificial fertilizer and pesticide used to promote healthy plants and rejuvenate soils. Although the company has existed since the mid-1800s, it faces a number of challenges in...

Maintaining a healthy compost bin is all about taking care of worms. Keeping the worms well fed is the key to successful compost. Making your own compost indoors is an environmentally friendly way...

When purchasing dirt to fill an area of your lawn or garden, you must know the total cubic yards. Calculate this number from three measurements taken of the area you need to fill with dirt. Once...

There are many benefits to making your own compost. Composting is an environmentally friendly way to recycle fruit and vegetable scraps, and yard waste like dead leaves, flowers or branches....

Both compost heaps and worm beds require worms to eat decaying organic material to turn it into fertilizer for use on lawns, plants and flowers. Compost heaps are moist and full of food, so they...

Worm farming can produce nutrients for fertilizing your other plants and is a great way to recycle your vegetable and fruit waste. It is important to understand how to set up a proper structure...

Clay soil presents problems for the gardener. When compacted, it can be so hard as to be almost impermeable, even with a shovel. The coarse, clod-filled texture inhibits plant root growth, and it...

There are a few benefits to making your own indoor compost container. Composting is an environmentally friendly way to recycle vegetable and fruit scraps, and yard waste. Compost worms transform...

Some gardeners do not need to make much of an effort to amend their soil, but for others, especially those with clay soil, there is a lot of groundwork to be done before planting can happen. Clay...

Wood ash and charcoal are created when wood is burned in the fireplace or outdoors. Applied correctly, charcoal and ash can be useful in your garden and on your lawn to correct soil problems and...

Worms are incredibly useful to gardeners for many reasons. It is a good idea to farm worms so that you can introduce them to areas of your garden soil where they are lacking. However, another...

When most people think of plant growth, they incorrectly assume that rain has only beneficial effects. While rain is essential for outdoor plant growth, it has both positive and negative effects...

There are many benefits to making your own kitchen compost container. Composting is an excellent way to recycle vegetable, fruit and yard excess. When composting is done correctly, compost worms...

Landscape cloth is commonly used to control the growth of weeds, while still allowing some water and nutrients to penetrate through into the soil. Some gardeners also use this landscaping cloth as...

A thin layer of soil covers the top layer of the earth's crust. Soil is essential to agriculture and also supports buildings and roads.

The first eight inches of the Earth's soil is topsoil. Tilling is the process of digging and turning over the topsoil. Farmers till to mix fertilizers into the dirt, destroy weeds and as a...

Soil erosion is a naturally occurring phenomenon that exists in any environment capable of sustaining plant life. The main agents of soil erosion are water and wind; however, in this article we...

Growing in a container garden allows even those with little outdoor space the opportunity to grow plenty of fresh vegetables. Container gardens depend on you for all their needs---especially when...

No-till and no-dig methods of planting are designed to reduce manual labor and equipment usage and to preserve soil structure. Microorganisms are undisturbed and the loss of organic matter and...

Compost is the process of allowing bacteria and other organisms in the soil to break down organic materials so they can return their nutrients to the soil. When compost is broken down, it is...

Scotts Starter Fertilizer is specially designed for lawn care. It is formulated to add nutrients to previously unworked soil. It is best applied after seeding, on top of the freshly planted earth....

Compost bins are a great way to reduce waste and costs and provide an excellent source of nutrients for our gardens. Composting isn't difficult, but a hot compost pile will get the best results....

Maintaining a good compost bin is all about taking care of your worms. If you keep the worms well fed and healthy, you'll have successful compost. Making your own compost is an environmentally...

Compost is a nutrient-rich soil amendment that drastically improves the growth of your plants. It is simple and inexpensive to make at home and can be considered the most important piece of the...

Composting turns yard waste into rich compost, which you can use to improve your garden soil, for starting seeds, or as an ingredient in your own potting soil mix. Leaves, plant waste, grass...

Backyard composting recycles your yard waste and kitchen scraps into a nutrient-rich soil amendment for use in your garden and potted plants. Good-quality compost is made by bacteria in the pile...

Although the reason is unknown, earthworms seem to be attracted to coffee grounds. When coffee grounds are spread around plants or used in compost piles, the worm population increases. This...

Soil has various compositions and comes in a variety of forms. Natural soils consist of minerals, organic matter and living organisms that are in balance with surrounding geological features and...

Growing vegetables in a home garden not only helps the environment, but it saves money as well. Since many people do not have a large yard in which to plant a vegetable garden, container gardening...

Every year, 1 percent of topsoil is lost due to agriculture and erosion. Poor farming practices can result in unhealthy soil, which leads to lower crop yields and eventually topsoil that needs to...

Clay soil is clumpy, sticky and has little aeration for a healthy garden. Its dense structure leads to poor drainage, which is frustrating for gardeners. However, it's possible to improve clay...

Earthgro topsoil is an organic product formulated for general use in home gardens. Its label provides information about its components.

Creating your own compost for soil provides two very distinct advantages. It first reduces your food and yard waste, keeping it out of landfills. It next offers a mixture that replaces lost...