Off-the-Charts Alkaline Soil - What we did to fix it!
Honestly, my brain can’t fathom that the kids are in school and summer is coming to an end. Winter is coming in fast and you can feel the shift in the air. It is in the 70s this week and next weekend we are starting the drop to colder temperatures.
If you read our other posts or follow us on YouTube you would have seen that our Spring here started extremely late. Traditionally, on Mother’s Day every year, which is right around my birthday. I am able to get most of the last of our plants in the garden and they are all set, but not this year. This year we had a very cold snap that brought some snow and a few days of deep frosts to our area and it was completely unexpected. Not even the weather forecasters knew it would hit.
But even so this summer was the biggest success yet. Our plants were so much more prolific than ever before. We couldn’t keep up with them most days. But we are catching up slowly.
Tomato Sauce, Enchilada Sauce, Hot Sauce (which I am most excited about), and canned green beans are getting put on the shelves as we speak. The chickens are getting a multitude of amazing greens for them to snack on and help supplement our food budget for them.
But the most amazing thing is the amount of information I learned about my garden and the new plans I am putting into place. Something that will hopefully make the next owners of this house have an easier time working with the ground in the garden.
When you have soil that is heavily alkaline, you have to make adjustments to make it healthy again for your plants. And after learning this early in the spring. I became dead set on nurturing the soil and doing what I could to be a good steward, and this fall and winter begins the prep work for building up and making it even better for the next owners (or us if we are still here next summer, however I hope not).
I can not stress enough to get some tools to test your soil or send it in somewhere. Have it tested so you know exactly what you are working with. We ordered two different tools/kits to test our soil. We wanted to make sure we were getting as much information as possible.
Some of my biggest tips to help feed your Alkaline Soil are listed below.
Acid, Acid, and more Acid!!!
You might seem surprised by this, but most plans prefer a neutral to slightly acidic soil. So when yours is alkaline, you need to amend that straight away. And in our case, our soil was off the charts alkaline. We did end up buying acidifier from the store just to help us get it more acidic faster. However, the best and most natural way is through compost. High-quality compost, preferably your own if you make your own, is the best thing you could do. Add it around your plants and everywhere. Not only will it provide all those healthy nutrients, but it will help protect that precious top-soil.
Add Nitrogen!
Nitrogen is one of those beneficial minerals that all plants need, and some a lot more than others. We started by placing some blood meal in each plant hole before placing the seed or the start. This way they had a massive burst of nitrogen right from the start. Then through-out the growing season we would add grass clippings around the plants as a mulch. This one can be rather controversial, but YES, we placed grass clippings around our plants and they LOVED it!!
We made sure to leave a little space between the grass and the plant as grass has a tendency to get extremely hot when breaking down. But in the breaking down process it seeps nitrogen into the ground right next to the roots of the plants. And as it “composts” down it will add Acid to the soil and help in so many ways.
Bring on the Calcium!
Calcium is a necessary mineral for pretty much all life. We wouldn’t be able to survive without calcium. So why wouldn’t we make sure our plants have enough as well.
The best way I have personally found for adding Calcium is through EGG SHELLS!!!! We all have them in our house, whether they are chicken or duck, so why not use them to help our plants!! All you have to do is dry them out then toss them into a blender and pulverize. Through-out the winter I will do this and save the crumbs in a freezer bag next to all my garden stuff. During the summer when it is less likely I need it, the eggs get tossed into compost. So no matter where they end up they will be benefiting our plants. And the tomatoes this year were some of the prettiest and best-tasting ones I have ever had.
Have you ever tried a tomato with and without calcium added? Hmmmm……. This may have to be an actual experiment for next season!! Maybe try tomatoes in a pot? The same kind, one with and one without calcium added to the soil. See how many fruits it produces, and the flavor. This may have to happen now.
Patience is a virtue!
Just like any adventure on a Homestead or in life, Patience is the most important aspect. Creating healthy soil for your garden will take time. But you can start now, no matter the season. Start by taking steps to make it better. I can honestly say after 3 years, this year was our best season, with the best harvest. Nowhere near what I want it to be, in regard to feeding our family. However, it is making a dent in our grocery budget in a fantastic way.
Now that winter is on its way, putting our garden and chicken coop to bed is becoming the forefront of our mind. We will be getting the tarps slowly put up around the chickens’ run to help keep the cold out. But we are waiting till later in the fall before doing that, possibly when the first frost is about to hit.
But the garden, we are going to start now. First up amending as much as possible and adding a cover crop. Something that will help add more nutrients into the soil. Then, when it is time to “kill it off” it will decompose in place for even more nutrients. The biggest thing we plan to avoid will be wood ash. Wood Ash will make the soil even more alkaline. Make sure to avoid Wood Ash at all costs if your soil is already alkaline. However, wood mulch is fine!!! So add that sucker as much as possible to help keep those weeds at bay!!
