Organic Soil: Use Organic Fertilizer, Organic Pesticide, and Organic-Only Materials

Preparing Organic Soil - Mixing in Organic Fertilizer and Soil Additives

You need to start with organic soil in organic vegetable gardening. If you are going to grow your vegetables in the ground, or in an unframed raised bed, just follow the steps laid out for raised bed organic gardening and for mixing in organic fertilizer and soil additives.

If you have a framed raised bed, the steps are basically the same. The example here will be for a raised bed container with a depth of 12". This is the size of my first organic raised bed garden.

• Transfer enough of your existing soil (if you have tested it and found it to be healthy) to a depth of 6" in your raised bed container.
• Make sure you have broken the soil up so that it is nice, loose and allows air to circulate through the soil.
• Add your fertilizers and additives, mixing them into the soil and filling the container up to the lip
• You will now have healthy, nutrient rich soil, that is loose in structure. This will take care of aeration and drainage to begin with, and regular replenishments of organic matter will maintain a healthy system

In preparing your soil correctly, you are laying the foundation for abundant and healthy crops, as well as saving yourself a whole load of work. One of the important factors in soil preparation is knowing what to feed the soil.

Organic Fertilizer and Organic Soil Additives

Did you identify your soil type? What about your soil pH level - did you test it?

Knowing your organic soil type enables you to choose the right type of organic matter to add to improve in fertility.

There are many organic remedies for nutrient deficient soil. Soil with a low pH level (acidic between 0-6.9) can be treated with lime. Add sulfur to a soil with a high pH level (between 7.1-14).

Changing your pH levels will of course be dependent on which vegetables you intend growing. Have a look at the vegetable plant pH preferences chart to remind you of the best soil pH levels for different vegetables.

If, for whatever reason, you do not want to use your existing soil, or do not actually have any, then healthy, organic and nutritious soils can be purchased. There are many soil retailers online. Enter ‘buy soil’ into your search engine and select one that suits you. Rolawn, an online soil retailer with organic products, provides a good description of what to look for (and ask for) when needing a good soil for your organic fruit and vegetables garden.

...the ideal landscaping topsoil can be described as an organic rich, slightly acid to slightly alkaline, fertile sandy loam, free from contamination with no waste materials or sharps.

Buying your soil from a reputable supplier will certainly cost more than using your own, but it would save you some work and ensure soil quality. Make sure that as your garden grows, you build a composter barrel or bin and develop your own organic compost fertilizer.

Okay, whether you are using existing organic soil or soil you have purchased, you will be introducing organic fertilizer, organic pesticide, and soil additives to it. Let's have a look at them now by clicking on fertilizer types.

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