Soil quality is essential whether you are carrying out indoor or outdoor planting. It is important to take care of the soil if you want to achieve your desired results in your garden or farm. It also helps in pest reduction in your garden. You do not have to worry about inheriting or buying a malfunctioned farm or a house with a lifeless garden at your backyard. Changing the state of your soil is possible. Over the years, research has enabled specialists to come up with a wide range of products that are beneficial to soil quality. It can be overwhelming to analyze the state of the soil and select the right solution. We prepared a short guide on how you can improve the quality of the soil in your garden or farm.
1) Agricultural Gypsum
Over the years, agricultural gypsum has received more attention for its characteristics that work to improve soil quality. Research has shown that it is possible to reduce aluminum toxicity by using this product. It is effective within a short time, especially in the subsoil. Soil acidity is a common issue that hinders fertility. It helps create a balance that leads to better rooting for healthy crops. You can apply on the surface of the soil, and the nutrients are absorbed helping in root growth.
Crops become deficient for nutrients such as sulfur and calcium because the soil is not healthy enough to supply them. Gypsum is rich in sulfur and calcium providing nutrition for both the soil and crops. It stimulates both root growth and crop yield.
2) Crop Rotation
Sometimes we plant one type of crop in our gardens for too long it ruins the quality of your soil. Crop rotation allows you to plant different types of crops within a given time. Each crop uses different nutrients. Therefore, when you rotate, the soil gets to benefit from a wide range of nutrients. The type of pests infesting your crops will also be different. Your soil will not deteriorate from the pests’ infestation as much.
3) Compost
Compost is made from waste. Some of the food remains that we dispose of our kitchens can be beneficial for our soil and plants. You can also make compost from domestic animal waste. Therefore, it is a plus if you are doing animal farming within your compound. It is an effective way of recycling waste that would just clutter your home space or the waste pit within your homestead. Your soil gets to benefit from the rich microorganisms in the waste. Other benefits include improving soil drainage and reducing plant diseases.
You can opt to get a compost bin from a professional or make yours. The latter is often common especially if you are working on a budget. The internet has various educative platforms that can help you come up with a compost bin. It is used to mix different waste materials to form compost. Some of the common compost materials include leftover fruits, vegetables, and other yard waste.