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year, but I do suggest maybe every two to three years. There are a lot of soil amendments that can be applied now. Doing it early helps them to start getting activated before planting or substantial plant growth begins. One thing I always do is top-dress with compost. This adds humus along with all kinds of good bac- teria and fungi to the soil. It is the best thing to wake up a sleepy soil. If you do need soil sup- plements, as recommend- ed by a soil test, talk to the experts at your local gar- den center. I do add three supple- ments to my soil every year because they are sim- ply great products. I add kelp meal and I use to add greensand. They are no longer mining greensand, so alfalfa meal is a great replacement. These two basically add all the sec- ondary and micronutri- ents your plants will need. I also add worm castings because they provide nec- essary plant hor mones that promote healthy growth and flowering. Do this to existing beds and vegetable gardens. For an existing garden, simply top-dress with the compost and other ingredients and let the spring rains mix it in. In a vegetable garden it can be top-dressed like above, if you prefer no-till, or worked in with a tiller for faster incorporation. Never overtill though. Try to only till once. Overtill- ing can destroy soil struc- ture. This affects its abili- ty to support plants with proper ratios of air, water, soil particles and open- pore spaces. Now you're ready to plant. Start with quality seeds and disease-free plants for even more suc- cess. Also keep up with those weeds that can harbor pests and disease. A good start makes for great gar- dens. Happy gardening! (Michael Timm is a horti- culturalist with Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixo- nia.) MARCH 2016 HOMES PLUS 5 Visit-www.kcustomcabs.com Kitchen Cabinets New Construction & Remodeling Vanities Entertainment Centers Custom Built-ins kcustomcabs@gmail.com Brian Kehlnhofer, Owner 262.352.2177 BRIGHTER CONCEPTS www.BrighterConceptsLtd.com 414-332-8865 Offer Expires 5/30/2016. *Call for details. 2 4 8 9 4 2 0 0 4 30 80 150 For All of Your Home Needs For All of Your Home Needs 2 4 8 9 4 2 0 0 3 "Quality Conscious, Customer Focused… Every Job, Every Day" 7945 Harwood Ave. ,Wauwatosa,WI 53213 Office: 414.988.4565 www.milestoneplumbinginc.com *Must mention this ad. Only valid for first time customers. 2 4 8 9 4 2 0 0 2 No Trip Charge for First Time Customers * MP#998631 Continued from Page 4 Timm Never overtill though.Try to only till once. Overtilling can destroy soil structure.This affects its ability to support plants with proper ratios of air, water, soil particles and open-pore spaces. Pixaby The Lenten rose is one of the first signs of spring. If you see it, it's time to start prepping your garden.