Year round growing seasons have a lot of amazing benefits, but also many unique challenges. We often hear that plants are struggling, they look sick or weak, or they just don't look healthy. There are many reasons this could be happening, but the most common in our area is poor soil quality. "But I have deep sandy soil" we hear a lot... A LOT... but sand doesn't hold nutrients or water very well. It is low in organic matter and deficient in many nutrients in minerals. Some plants thrive in these lo
w nutrient environments. Muhly Grass LOVES sandy soil and can survive for years on little or no nutrients. But for the rest of us there's things we can do to help make our plants happy and healthy. This all starts at planting with a healthy, active soil amendment to kick start the growth properly. And don't worry if the plants have been in a while, there's options for that too! A brief note on soil vs dirt. Soil is a living system made of strata of both alive and dormant layers. Top soil simply refers to the top most layer, which is often considered the most "alive" portion. Once disturbed and mixed the living portion dies very quickly and you are left with just dirt. Any mixed and moved soil becomes dirt as well. The topsoil in our coastal environment is well suited to our coastal forests. Large mature trees with dense undergrowth of palms, evergreens, and woody shrubs. Things that need small amounts of nutrients over
a long period of time. Our native flowering shrubs and trees bloom in the Winter or Spring to maximize their nutrient use during the cooler months when the bacteria and fungal breakdown of the organic layer is slowed. Throughout the rest of the year, however, this highly active living layer breaks down the available organic material and rain washes it through our sandy soil profile and out of the reach of our plants. Now here's the rub... The more organic matter you have in the soil, the better it retains moisture AND available nutrients. It also helps to build the topsoil layer and jump starts the plant micro-ecosystem unde
rneath. This in turn helps develop a healthy mix of bacteria and fungus that breaks down the organic matter and the process begins anew. So how do we make sure our plants get the best start and keep on growing strong an healthy? That's simple! Like everything else, plants need food and a good environment to thrive. We can provide our plants with everything they need by using a balanced, healthy, and alive planting mix at the start (or even mix it in later for our older plants). At Lawngevity we use our Turkey
Compost Blend religiously in all our planting beds. Whether its a renovation, a new bed, a raised bed, or just for giving our plants a pick me up. Our Turkey Compost Blend is a one step, sure fire way to build amazing landscape beds. Our blend is made up of roughly 40% Sandy/Loamy soil, 40% composted (and composting) greens, and 20% composted turkey bedding and manure. This provides a wide range of nutrients (both MA
CRO and MICRO) to ensure our plants get a strong, healthy start. You should always dig your hole twice as wide, but no deeper than your container. We recommend planting your material 1-2" higher than the surrounding bed to ensure you don't smother the crown when you mulch the beds. Mix your native soil with the Turkey compost blend or plant directly into the the Turkey Compost Blend! For raised beds, we recommend using only the Turkey Compost Blend and planting directly into it. Whether they are 8" deep or 28" deep. This soil drains well, but retains adequate moisture.
Stop on by the Landscape Center and check out everything we have to offer! We're always here to answer questions. Our goal is to provide information and help. An educated gardener is a happy gardener!
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