Soil Improvement

Soil improvement encompasses a whole lot more than just adding a bag of potting mix and hoping for the best! Here, we delve into the world of soil science to learn about why certain things do what they do. Techniques you can use for soil improvement are also collected here, providing you with tools you can use to improve the overall health and potential of your garden.

A person in blue jeans and boots kneels down while inspecting the ground with a small gardening tool, surrounded by a grassy area and patches of green foliage.

Soil Improvement

13 Fall Soil Improvements You Can Apply Now

Autumn is the ideal time to add soil improvements. They’ll start to break down this season and continue working slowly during the cool months. In spring, you’ll enjoy fresh, crumbly dirt that’s prime and ready for new seedlings! Join native plant gardener Jerad Bryant to see the 13 fall soil amendments you should add today.

A bright yellow rake is leaning against a large pile of dry, curled brown foliage, resting on green grass under a tree in a sunlit garden.

Soil Improvement

Do Fall Leaves Make Good Compost?

Fall leaves are a nutrient-rich soil amendment, but do they make good compost? They do, but they’ll need extra care to morph into rich, crumbly soil. Learn how to turn fall leaves into beneficial compost with backyard composter Jerad Bryant.

A large black bin basket filled with food scraps, including peels, fruit cores, and leafy greens, sits outside in a garden area next to lush foliage.

Soil Improvement

Hot vs. Cold Compost: Which Is Right For Your Garden?

Compost turns rotting waste into fertile, crumbly, humus-rich soil. It’s a wonderful method of upcycling waste, giving food scraps and garden clippings new life in the environment. Hot and cold piles are two easy composting methods, but which is right for you? Let’s break it down alongside seasoned composter Jerad Bryant.

A woman's hand in an orange glove mixes a compost heap with garden debris using a garden pitchfork.

Soil Improvement

9 Types of Garden Debris to Add to the Compost Pile

Most organic matter can go into your compost pile without issue, but some items have exceptions and stipulations. Learn what can go into compost, and you’ll never throw it in the trash again. Join seasoned gardener Jerad Bryant in discovering these nine types of waste that break down into rich, crumbly soil.

Tall spikes of crimson clover, a common September cover crop, with vibrant red blooms rise above green foliage in the field.

Soil Improvement

13 Cover Crops You Should Plant in September

You don’t have to be a full-fledged farmer to benefit from the use of cover cropping. You can use these plants to rejuvenate any garden bed over the off-season. Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss to learn some of the best options for boosting the nutrients in your soil for next season.

A garden bed with light-colored, patchy soil showing signs of nutrient leaching.

Soil Improvement

How to Prevent Soil Leaching in the Garden: 6 Expert Tips

If you don’t have strong soil structure, excess rainfall and irrigation can leach nutrients and fertilizers out of your garden beds. But there are many ways to prevent leaching, ensuring that vital plant minerals stay in the root zone where your plants can use them. In this article, soil expert Logan Hailey explains how to prevent leaching in your garden.

A person empties a bucket filled with vegetable scraps, grass clippings, and other organic waste onto a pile in a wooden bin.

Soil Improvement

7 Ways to Turn Your Compost Pile

Compost piles are excellent for backyard gardeners who want to save money on soil amendments or upcycle excess waste. Turning piles speeds up decomposition, lets microbes breathe, and keeps rotting smells at bay. Join longtime composter Jerad Bryant and discover seven easy ways to turn your compost piles.

A close-up of hands lifting dark, crumbly organic material above a composter, with vibrant green grass and garden foliage blurred in the background.

Soil Improvement

How Hot Should My Compost Pile Be?

Is your hot compost pile feeling cold? Or does it feel too hot? No matter which end of the spectrum your pile is on, there are easy ways to correct its temperature. Join backyard gardener Jerad Bryant in learning exactly how hot our piles should be.