How to Choose a Soil Amendment

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Yolanda Vanveen and in this segment, we're going to discuss how to choose a soil amendment. Now it doesn't really matter what type of soil you have whether you are living on a rock or a sandy area or just on clay. Because pretty much any soil amendment is really not going to change what's underneath it. So you can try to work it with what you already have or you can work above it. And I think that's so much easier, because by amending your soil, you're not really solving the problem but by building a raised bed above it or even putting a layer of compost between your lawn and the dirt underneath, you're amending it. You're giving it some nutrition, you're giving it something to grow into. So the best thing you can do for your soil is just to get some compost or potting soil and add a few inches over what you have already or build a raised bed above what you already have. And it will work its way into the soil and everything will grow really well in it. And you can take clay and mix it with great compost. Or, you can take sand and mix it with great compost and you'll have good soil. But in the end, the clay will break down and it will still become hard as a rock when it gets hot in the summer. And the sand will just, everything will just wash right through it. But if you put compost on top of that, even a few inches and plant your plants right into that, you will find that your lawn and your plants will do much better than trying to amend your soil."