Soil Preparation 101

When preparing beds for planting you must first make sure you have a good loam that contains a proper amount of organic material. One way to test for a good loam is by making a ball (about the size of a golf ball) with the soil. Squeeze the soil with your thumb and the middle part of your index finger, making a ribbon with the soil. This will tell you if you have a high clay content or a loam content. A high clay content will not allow water and nutrients to be absorbed properly and cause them to run off. Gypsum is one way to combat this clay content. Adding 40 pounds per 1000 square feet will break down the clay naturally. Adding a 2 inch layer of compost, such as Back-To-Nature or humore is another way to work on this problem.

It would be a good idea to have your soil tested by a local testing facility or by the Texas Department of Agriculture. This test will give you an accurate test on the available N, P, & K in your soil. There are also very inexpensive soil test kits that can be purchased at Sparkman's Nursery. PH is another aspect that must be considered when preparing beds for planting. Much of the soil around the Lubbock area is a, somewhat, Alkaline soil. To reverse the effects of this problem Iron can be added to your beds. Iron comes in many forms and formulations. Liquid forms of iron can be applied as a foliar feed or added to the soil at a diluted rate. Granular forms, such as, Sparkman's Iron & Soil Acidifier, Ironite, Ionate Plus, Copperas and Micromate are good sources of Iron that when used properly will not burn or cause plant material to rust. A good planting media is essential for proper plant growth.