Friday was Earth Day 2016, that annual event that has been occurring since 1970!  I love to garden this time of the year as spring is certainly planting season. Every spring is different, but this one we quite dry with the April showers not really appearing as of yet.  All of southern and central Maine are in need of a soaking rain storm.  We haven’t seen a healthy dose of rain since early in the first week this month and dry weather continues this weekend.

Red flag warnings have appeared again today and indication of just how dry it’s been.   Sunday will be a stellar looking day, but it will be chilly in the morning and only in the low to mid 50s in the afternoon.  There is finally a chance of some more significant rain on Monday and perhaps more showers at the end of the week.

With the weather being more conducive to planting let’s think about the one thing you should do this spring to help your garden.

Gardening is an amazing hobby—it’s something you can do your entire lifelong. I’ve spent a bit of time thinking about what aspect of gardening is most critical, and I’ve arrived at the earth itself: the soil, the stuff in which most plants grow.

This weekend is a good time to consider your soil. Whether your garden is something as small as a container or as large as an acre garden, if you don’t have good soil, it’s much more difficult to find success growing. Sounds obvious, right? And you might also not be sure what you can do to have good soil.

Two words encompass something you should be doing each year to your soil: “amend it”—as in, fix it. Amending your soil means adding nutrients or other medium like peat, compost, or even sand to change the consistency. Doing this on a regular basis provides vital nourishment for your plants, allows more oxygen into the soil (which is critical for proper growth), and builds a strong base for all your growing needs.

When amending, go organic and use slow-release fertilizers; strive for a sandy loam, which is great for growing almost everything. If you have specialty plants which require wetter or drier soil, learn what the soil you have needs and build it up with the amendments you need. To take out the guess work for what to add, have your soil tested. There are several places to get your soil test, including the extension service through the University of Maine.  It’s easy and a great teaching moment for kids, too.

Remember, you can have the correct amount of sunlight, water, and perfect temperature, but if your soil isn’t good, you’re fighting a battle you might not win.

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