Improving Your Soil: A Practical Guide to Soil Management for the Serious Home Gardener

by Keith Reid

Book Overview

Valuable advice from an expert in soil science.

Intended for both small- and medium-sized gardens, Improving Your Soil reveals the steps to take to achieve the perfect soil in which to grow plants. With clear and specific directions on how to amend poor soil, modify mediocre earth, aerate compacted topsoil and substrates as well as test pH levels, this book enables any gardener to nurture their plants and promote more abundant growth.

The features that indicate good soil include proper structure and nutrients that encourage healthy plant growth. Soil in "good tilth" is loamy, nutrient-rich and friable because it has an optimal mixture of sand, clay and organic matter that prevents severe compaction. Improving Your Soil shows gardeners how to improve the soil in their gardens to encourage good seed bedding and a strong root system for proper nutrient disbursement throughout various soil depths. Topics in the book include:

Providing the right amount of water for plants The microscopic world of soils Crop rotations Types of compost and how to make good compost Managing soils to minimize pest and disease problems Overcoming common nutrient deficiencies Organic vs. mineral fertilizers.

The detailed information is complemented with line drawings, diagrams and illustrations that demonstrate various soil issues and how to resolve common problems. With information on remedying specific problems with particular plants, Improving Your Soil will be an often-consulted resource for all gardeners.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1770852263
• ISBN13: 9781770852266
• Release Date: February 2014
• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

A lot of detail but also unnecessary lengthy in descriptions.

This is a book for beginners and seasoned gardeners as well. It's very descriptive as far as what to look for in your soil and how to obtain samples, however, a lot of the verbiage is unnecessary and repeated. What could have been said in 3 to 5 words is in 3 to 5 sentences. Saying the same information twice in the same sentence is not exactly what a reader needs. Some dated information as well. I don’t know if I would recommend this book but if you have the time for extra detail and are actually looking for a book that doesn’t get to the point right away, this is the soil book for you.

Well written for the home gardener.

Keith Reid has written a terrific book on the life that lives in the soil and how anyone can tap into the world beneath our feet to grow a bounty of flowers, vegetables, and everything in between. Easy to understand, science based practical advice that will help the reader learn to care for the seen and unseen that inhabit the soil and nourish the flora. A must read for the casual gardener and homesteaders alike. You'll come away with an amazing appreciation for what the soil does for the planet. Great read. I highly recommend this book. I was able to borrow it from my local library.