Shelby Shopper Shelby NC
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G ardening enthusiasts may have been thinking about their landscape plans throughout the winter, eager to once again get their hands dirty with soil. Whether a home gardener is making preparations for ed- ible crops or beautiful fl owers, he or she must take time to make the soil amenable to planting. To establish hearty, durable plants, gardeners can focus on three main areas: addressing soil composi- tion, cultivating and adding nutrients. Soil composition Many gardeners prefer growing a variety of plants in their gardens. Such an ap- proach requires taking inventory of the type of soil in one's garden and making the necessary modifi cations so that the types of vegetables, herbs, shrubs, or fl owers that will be planted can grow in strongly. In fact, according to the plant company Prov- en Winners, the most important step to developing good roots is preparing the soil. Take a sample of the soil and examine it to see what is present. If the soil is too full of clay, too sandy, too dense, or too loose, that can lead to problems where plants cannot grow in strong. Work with a garden center to add the right soil amendments to make a rich soil. This may include organic compost or manure, which will also add nutrients to the soil. Cultivation Cultivating the soil can involve different steps. Removal of weeds, errant rocks, roots, and other items will help prepare the soil. Mother Earth News suggests working on garden soil when the soil is damp but never wet; otherwise, garden soil can become messy and clumpy. Use a digging fork or shovel to lightly turn the soil when it's mostly dry. Gentle tillings also can open up the soil to incorporate the nutritional amendments and relieve compaction that likely occurred from freez- ing temps and snow pressure. Tilling also helps with drainage and oxygen delivery to roots. The DIY Network suggests turning over soil at a depth of 12 inches to work the soil — about the length of a shovel spade. However, the resource Earth Easy says that existing garden beds have a complex soil ecosystem and simply top-dressing with compost or manure Thursday, April 5-April 11, 2018 www.shelbyinfo.com 704/484-1047 - shelby shopper & info - Page 13 HOME GARDEN & H D M R M R M R A O A O A O A M D M R M R OM AR O ARD OM Guide Guide Shelby Shopper & Info 217 Arrowood St. • Shelby, NC 704-487-5263 VISIT US ON SPRING CONTRACTOR'S DAY and WOODWORKING COMPETITION 2018 May 1st, 2018 The Whimmy Diddle, Whirly Gig and Everything In Between Competition The objective is to build the most unique mechanical doohickey possible. It can be as simple as a toy or as complicated as a clock. It just must have moving parts and be made mostly from wood. As usual, we will have vendors on hand to display the latest in tools and building materials, some offering exclusive deals. Contest Rules: • The entry can be something made recently or as old as the hills. • It can be wind powered, battery powered, and/or wind-up. Anyway to get it moving. • The entry must have one or more moving parts. The more the merrier. • Your creation must be made primarily of wood. Calling All Amateur Woodworkers! WIN WIN $ 500 500 Gift Gift Certifi cate! Certifi cate! ©CommunityFirstMedia CLINE'S CLINE'S Nursery Nursery SPRING SPRING KICKOFF! KICKOFF! Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9am-5:30pm Mon.-Fri. 9am-5:30pm Saturday 9am-3pm Saturday 9am-3pm Sunday-11am-3pm Sunday-11am-3pm Find Us On Find Us On FACEBOOK FACEBOOK ©CommunityFirstMedia ©CommunityFirstMedia WE HAVE 1,000's 1,000's OF OF Blooming Blooming PERENNIALS 1901 FALLSTON RD. • SHELBY, NC 28150 704-487-9861 704-487-9861 www.clinesnursery.com www.clinesnursery.com OUR OUR GREENHOUSES GREENHOUSES ARE FULL! ARE FULL! Come by and Come by and see us today! see us today! • FERNS • TROPICALS • FERNS • TROPICALS HANGING BASKETS HANGING BASKETS ANNUALS • TREES • SHRUBS ANNUALS • TREES • SHRUBS AND MORE! AND MORE! can be enough preparation for plant- ing. Gardeners can experiment with the methods that work best for their gardens. Nutrition Testing the pH and the levels of certain nutrients in the soil, namely nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, will give gardeners an idea of other soil additions that may be needed. Soils with a pH below 6.2 often can benefi t from the addition of lime several weeks before planting. Soil tests will determine just how much fertilizer to add to the soil. Complete fertil- izers will have equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Individual fertilizers can amend the soil with only these nutritional elements that are needed. Top-dressing empty beds with a layer of mulch or compost can prevent weed growth and preserve moisture until it is time to plant. If existing shrubs or plants are in garden beds, use more care so as not to disturb roots or dig too deeply. Preparing garden beds takes some effort initially, but can be well worth the work when plants fl our- ish throughout the growing season. Preparing garden beds for spring and beyond Begin preparing garden bed soil early for new plants.