Last Updated on October 31, 2021 by Phil
At the heart of every healthy garden is its soil. This is why it’s very important to have rich, good quality soil. Without it, you won’t be able to see your plants grow to their full potential. While there are many traditional ways to boost soil quality, there are also a lot of DIY ways to do so. Here’s how to improve soil quality without a compost heap.
Try the different things below to help make your garden grow faster and healthier.
Eggshells
We eat eggs every day. And, we save the shells for the garden. Eggshells work in so many ways that they’re one of the DIY things that all gardeners should make use of.
One way to use them to enrich your soil is to crush the shells and add them to your soil. It’s that simple. But, before you do so, make sure you clean out the shells well. This prevents any disease in them to pass onto your garden.
The calcium and other minerals in the egg shells help boost your soil’s quality. This, in turn, makes your garden grow better.
Another thing you can do with eggshells is to crack them and place them around seeds or seedlings. These keep snails and slugs away because their sharp edges can hurt them.
Orange Peels
If you eat a lot of oranges, one thing you can do is use the leftover peels in your garden. Orange peels are rich in nutrients including potassium nitrogen and phosphorus. All of these help improve your soil to make your garden grow better.
So, the next time you eat oranges, you can cut the peel up into small pieces and bury them in your yard. This allows the soil to absorb all the rick nutrients from the peel.
Leaf Mold
This is one of the reasons why many green thumbs don’t rake their leaves. After they’ve fallen, leaves will eventually decompose. When they do so they break down and help feed the soil. The reason for this is that they contain organic matter. This helps improve soil quality. And, also helps it hold water better.
One efficient way to do this is to collect your leaves and put them into the compost pile. This will let you use it to help boost your soil quality.
Plant Cover Crops
Cover crops are another thing you can use to help nourish your garden’s soil. Unlike other plants which are used for appearances or edibles, cover crops are planted for the purpose of becoming nutrients for the soil.
Yes, it sounds weird but that’s how it works. These plants grow thanks to the soil. And, for their part, they help make the soil better. in addition to fertilizing the soil, they also help reduce erosion, improve soil quality and prevent pests, diseases and other problems.
Legumes are among the most well-known cover crops. Among these are field peas, the crimson clover, soybeans and alfalfa.
There are also some types of grass including oats and annual ryregrass that work as cover crops. Then there’s buckwheat and brassicas too.
Banana Peels
Banana peels are another thing that you may not want to throw away. That’s great about the skin of the banana is that it contains some nutrients that will help your soil.
While they’re not edible for us, the peels will decompose. So, using them as compost allows you to take advantage of the different nutrients that are left in them. Among these include calcium, magnesium, Sulphur and potassium. All of which help improve the quality of your garden’s soil.
One way to speed up the process it to break the peels down yourself. Instead of waiting for it to decay, you can grind them down into powdery form. This allows the soil to quickly use it.
Coffee Grounds
If you drink a lot of coffee, you’ll be glad to know that coffee grounds will help improve your yard. Coffee grounds are incredible for soil in that they help make it a better environment for plants to grow in.
They work much like fertilizer because they contain organic matter. In addition, they also help aerate the soil, allow it to retain more water and aid in drainage.
Once the ground breakdown, they become mulch. This makes the ground better for your grass and other plants.
Besides coffee grounds, you can also use tea bags. Tea bags contain more moisture, but also work very similarly to coffee in helping your garden.
Related Posts
How to Mow the Lawn for Beginners: Step by Step Guide
How To Prepare A Garden Bed For Planting Vegetables
How To Prepare Your Lawn and Garden For Winter
