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@hylene74
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Greetings dear friends of Hive Garden. Today I am joining in with the question from Week 22 – Soil. As the initiative's post says, soil is the basis of all planting for good harvests, whether in agriculture or any other type of cultivation. Years ago, when my mother took care of the garden and I was still little, she used to buy a lot of fertilized soil, also known as potting soil. For years, I never took care of the soil, but then it was my turn to do so when she fell ill and passed away. I set out to restore the garden and plant ornamental plants, my favorites. I remember that the first one was a lilac-colored vicaria in a large pot that I now call the Vinca Rosea vase.
There I realized why my mother bought bags of soil to improve the soil. In the planters, the soil is black, dark, and very good; the plants grow healthy. However, it was not the same outside of these; I could see mixed soil, part of it rocky, the surface somewhat sandy, but underneath there were many stones, like gravel, and that didn't allow for good placement of new plants because I couldn't dig deep, which meant that the plants weren't firmly planted. It also made seedling work a little difficult because they were very close to the surface. Some plants managed to grow, but they were weak and then died.
In the other area of the garden, I would describe the soil as loamy, but it was very compact, perhaps because nothing had been tilled in that soil for a long time. To improve the soil, I haven't used fertilizers or manure, but I do plan to buy soil to do so. However, what I did to improve the soil in my garden was to turn it over. I did this twice and it worked, even in that stony area. I sowed seeds and planted plants in that area, and the result was very fruitful. The plants have grown, flowered, and are healthy and strong.
Tilling the soil is the first step before adding fertilizer or mixing it with good soil. When I tilled the soil in my garden, it loosened up, leaving behind that hard, compacted soil. This happened in both the stony and loamy soil, improving planting conditions and allowing the plants and seeds to penetrate the soil satisfactorily. It also allowed me to remove the weeds that grow wild, including bad weeds. In short, I got a good result from this activity, which is very important for improving the soil, which translates into the beginning of achieving this, as the soil became more fertile. In the coming weeks, I plan to complete this process by mixing in fertilized soil, which I prefer to be as natural as possible, that is, without chemical additives.
Soil removal has many advantages, but like everything else, there is also a downside, such as erosion and nutrient loss, making it vulnerable over time. To prevent deterioration, I plan to purchase fertilized soil or compost. This has been my contribution. I hope you have enjoyed it and found it helpful.