GARDEN CHAT By Jean Lundquist
‘To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.’ -Mahatma Ghandi
Dirty logic I
Take care of your soil, and your soil will take care of you
saw a poster not too long ago that read, “Don’t treat soil like dirt.” The meaning, of course, is healthy soil means healthy plants. But if you think of soil and dirt as the same thing, that is all right with me (though, I think “soil” is what I have in the garden and “dirt” is what’s tracked in the house). But before we set plants outside in the garden next month, this is a good time to think about your soil — and amend it if needed. Years ago I bought something from a local big-box store that claimed to be a soil test. It had some funky little capsules in it and a color graph to compare your results with those on the packaging. I don’t remember what it cost me, but I know the value of that test was zero. Because I’m going back into the garden this year in 50 • APRIL 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
a big way after a couple years of gardening in grow bags, I’m opting for a full-fledged soil test from the University of Minnesota Extension Service. According to the website, it will cost me $17 and will be well worth it. Unless a serious imbalance is found in your garden, soil testing is not necessary every year. The results will let you know what types of fertilizer or other soil amendments are needed. As a rule of thumb, the only thing you need not worry about adding too much of is compost or organic matter. That is not true in a pot or grow bag but is almost always true in your garden. Before you spend, and potentially waste, money buying fertilizer for your garden, it will benefit you to know what your garden needs. When buying commercial fertilizer, you’ll see three numbers separated by a dash. For example, 10-10-10.
