How to Get The Best Soil in Calgary
Soil is the basic foundation of any garden. Hence, its important to cultivate the soil properly so that it stays healthy. A healthy soil helps strengthen the roots of the plants and protects the soil from spreading diseases.
When you’re planning to plant and grow a garden in Calgary, there are certain elements you need to consider to have a successful project. There are also ways to save time, energy, and money by doing things right the first time around. Whatever method you choose to grow your garden, make sure you do your research first to help you reach your gardening goals faster.
Here are some important factors to consider when purchasing and preparing the soil for your garden.
Buying Soil in Calgary
If you are a gardener in Calgary, you’re probably aware that the soil in this location is not easy to work with because it has high amounts of clay in it. That being said, Ornamental Stone offers the best soil available locally and is properly screened to remove grave and clay. While screened soil may be great for sod, shrubs, and trees, Ornamental Stone highly recommends using its soil and garden mix, especially when planting flowers and growing a vegetable garden.
It is also important to note that Calgary soil comes with a basic or high pH level and is classified as clay or clay loam. When buying soil in Calgary, ask for a screened soil. First-time growers should ensure that they have the proper soil for their gardening project.
Digging up the soil in your yard isn’t enough to grow plants, flowers or vegetables. You’ll need to get a balanced soil with sufficient nutrients to sustain the soil and plant growth.
Soil Amendment
Soil amendment refers to any material that is added to the soil to improve its physical properties. The most common reasons for soil amendments are water retention, drainage, aeration, permeability, water infiltration, and soil structure. The important thing to remember is the materials should be applied thoroughly and directly into the soil.
Just burying it reduces its effectiveness and may interfere with the growth and development of the roots as well as the flow of air and water. There are two types of soil amendments, organic and inorganic. Organic materials include grass clippings, straw, wood chips, wood ash, sawdust, compost, and manure. Inorganic materials such as pea gravel, sand, vermiculite, and tire chunks are mined or man-made.
Soil amendments also help improve the soil’s fertility to make it easier and healthier for plants to grow. It slowly releases the nutrients and minerals into the soil. There are several methods you can use such as crop rotation, avoiding soil compaction, reducing tillage, and growing cover crops.
Ornamental Stone concocts its own soil amendment called Garden Party. This product breaks down the clay in the soil and adds supplies the soil with the nutrients it needs.
Mulching
Mulching is commonly used in gardening and helps protect the soil. When done properly, it benefits the soil as well as the plants. Mulching is the process of covering the soil with mulches including wood chips, barks, leaves, pine needles, hardwood, and other organic materials. Organic mulches naturally decompose over time.
This technique preserves moisture by reducing evaporation, prevents soil compaction, and improves water infiltration. This step helps gardeners save a lot of time, especially when maintaining your landscape. Plus, it’s also environmentally-friendly considering you are recycling garden waste into mulch. Mulching is also a low-cost process making it both practical and efficient.
It also controls the growth of weeds which is often the source of many soil problems. Mulches insulate and shields the roots from extreme temperatures. When using this process, it is also important to identify your objective so that you can easily pick the right type of mulch to apply in your lawn or garden.
Organic Vs Inorganic Mulch
Organic mulches tend to decompose at different speeds. It usually depends on the climate, material, and organisms in the soil. Some organic mulches decompose faster which means that you’ll have to replenish the mulch in your garden often.
Inorganic mulches, on the other hand, are low maintenance and do not require replenishment. However, they do not decompose which means they cannot help improve quality or fertilize the soil. The most common types of inorganic mulches include lava rock, stones, geotextile fabrics, and pulverized rubber among many others.
Avoid Chemical Fertilizers
Landscaping experts and landscape supplies Calgary recommend using organic compost compared to using chemical fertilizers. If you are planning on growing a garden, it’s always best to make sure you are using the best type of soil. The soil composition is one of the most important factors to consider to ensure that your gardening project is a success.
However, some gardeners tend to rely on chemical products. Chemical fertilizers are often referred to as inorganic, artificial, synthetic, or manufactured fertilizers. While these chemicals can help plants grow faster, they also have disadvantages. Chemical fertilizers damage the soil over time, breed soil disease, and potentially contaminate the water source.
Soil Testing
A home testing kit is ideal for serious home gardeners. Soil tests help identify the pH levels and nutrient deficiencies. Some advanced kits can also identify the Cation Exchange Capacity, soluble salts, and other significant classifications. Technically, it is a measuring tool to determine the key elements for plant growth.
Plants require a number of essential minerals and nutrients including carbon, potassium, oxygen, phosphorus, calcium, and nitrogen to name a few. When the soil lacks any of these essential elements, gardeners use fertilizers.
Measuring the soil’s pH levels is important as it affects the nutrients and microorganisms in the soil. It measures the soil acidity where a score of seven means it is neutral while anything below it is considered acidic and if it goes above seven it is considered as alkaline.
You can ask any local landscaping supplier in Calgary on how to get the best soil in Calgary. Ornamental Stone offers fast soil delivery and expert advice.
It’s difficult to find good soil in Calgary. While it’s best to start with top quality screened loam, you can always amend the soil with a product like our Garden Party. Do you need to order soil for delivery? Check out our page for more information on soil delivery. We have the best landscape delivery prices in Calgary and can deliver next day!