This Season: Summer

Amending the Soil

• If you do any planting this summer, it is important to amend your garden soil. Adding organic materials such as compost, bark chips or Master Nursery Goldrush and Paydirt will improve the quality, texture and, more importantly this year, water retention in the soil.

Mulch

• Mulching your garden with bark chips or shredded cedar is a great way to reduce the water evaporation from the soil. We recommend a 2-3 inch layer around the drip line of the plant for the most effective protection.

Deep Watering

• It is always better for your plants to give them a deeper watering. Deeper watering encourages a healthier root system and lets you water less often.

SoilSoup

• SoilSoup is an organic compost tea that is added to the soil to increase fertility, make nutrients in the soil more available to the plants, improve water retention, and restore a natural balance to the soils ecosystem.

Water Retention Products

• Other products we carry to encourage water retention are SoilMoist and TerraCottem. Both are in the form of granules that you mix into the soil at the time of planting. They contain polymers that absorb and hold water to be released when the soil dries out.

Fertilizing in Summer

• We recommend that you not fertilize on these hot days. When it is cooler (in the 80’s) we recommend organic or other lighter fertilizers.