Let's pause for a minute and talk about dirt. It's probably been a while since you've spent time playing in the stuff, but understanding the different types of soil, and the impact it can have on your plants is crucial.
To grow a blossoming garden, you must have three key ingredients:
First, what exactly is soil? It's a mix of minerals and organic matter (decaying leaves, moss, etc.) that anchors plant roots, provides water, and gives plants the nutrients they need to survive.
When choosing supplies for your urban garden, dirt might seem like the most basic item - you go to the store, choose a bag of soil, and call it a day, right? Wrong.
First, if you go this route, make sure that you select a bag of potting soil. This is designed for raised gardens and plots that aren't rooted in the earth.
Second, not all soil is created equal - different plants need different minerals and prefer different levels of alkalinity. When picking out the right supplies for your small garden, grab a bag of potting soil, and leverage dedicated fertilizers for different flowers, trees, herbs, and vegetables to find the perfect pH level.
To help you determine which supplies to add to your cart, keep these tips in mind:
Now that we've got that out of the way, go ahead and dig in!