TMD May 21

What can I add to my dirt to get something to grow in my yard?

Most of the time when you have a hard time establishing grass in your yard it could be a lack of organic matter in your soil.  Healthy, fertile soil is a mixture of water, air, minerals, and organic matter. In soil, organic matter consists of plant and animal material that is in the process of decomposing. When it has fully decomposed it is called humus. This humus is important for soil structure because it holds individual mineral particles together in clusters. Ideal soil has a granular, crumbly structure that allows water to drain through it, and allows oxygen and carbon dioxide to move freely between spaces within the soil and the air above.  Organic matter contains essential plant nutrients, that can be absorbed by the growing plant.  By adding organic matter to sandy soil, you improve the ability of the soil to retain water. In a clay soil, humus will loosen the soil to make it more crumbly.  Many times, places that don't have much organic matter include areas that wash or erode frequently or soil that is brought in for foundations around houses.  In cases like this there are a few things we can add to the existing dirt to help:

Topsoil= Topsoil can be brought in from other places and added to the existing dirt

Chicken Litter =  Chicken litter can have a high organic matter due to the amount of wood shavings mixed with it but straight chicken manure has little organic matter.

Manure= Horse and Cattle manure are usually high in organic matter due to the amount of  plant material in the animal's diet.

Compost= Very high in organic material due to the products added.  This can include grass clippings, leaves, molasses and others.

All of the above products are relatively easy to acquire and will work well.    

My quote of the week comes from General George S. Patton, Jr.  It reads, "Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom."