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Why is Soil Quality Important?

Soil | March 7, 2019

Understanding why soil quality is important can make all the difference between a healthy, thriving garden and a garden that barely grows. At Just Mulch, we understand the importance of having the right type of soil for your garden. That is why we offer a selection of bark mulch and soil products.

Why Soil Quality is Important

Healthy, high-quality soil can store and process more water than poor quality, depleted soil, which will not hold water and can make it almost impossible for plants to survive. The key to ensuring that your garden soil has a high quality is to make sure that it contains a lot of organic matter, such as lawn clippings, leaves, manure, kitchen scraps, sawdust, insects, earthworms, and microbes. Having a healthy amount of organic matter in your soil will help ensure the soil is healthy overall and able to retain water properly.

How to Improve Soil Quality

In addition to ensuring your garden soil contains enough organic matter, you can also improve the soil quality by:

Aerating the Soil

Aerating garden soil by loosening up the dirt that has been packed down over time can help allow for better water and air flow. If you are planning on aerating a garden that has existing plants, be careful not to disturb any of the root systems.

Adding Compost

Since there are a variety of different types of soil that you can use in your garden, it is important to aim for a quality soil that has equal parts clay, sand, and compost. If the soil in your garden has more clay, add finished compost and sand to even it out.

Using Mulch

Using mulch in your garden can offer a range of benefits, such as helping to control weeds, helping the garden soil retain more water, and breaking down to feed the soil. High-quality mulching products can significantly increase overall soil quality.

Not Walking on Garden Soil

Walking on garden soil can cause it to become more compact, making it harder for water to get into the soil. If you need to walk directly through a garden, consider placing down stepping stones to help minimize damage to the garden soil.

Protecting the Garden from Wind

Strong winds cannot only wreak havoc on the plants in your garden but also on the garden soil itself. Consider planting something or building a structure to act as a windbreaker, such as shrubs or a fence.

If you would like to learn more about why soil quality is important, or if you are interested in one of our bark mulch and soil products, please contact Just Mulch at 236-98-MULCH or by filling out a contact form on our website.