Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow? (Have Your Soil Tested!)

How did Mary's garden grow?

Well, it was probably due to good soil, but perhaps some other factors. Yet, soil quality is the far most common denominator in the life and success of most any plant.

I have no clue as to what Mary knew of her garden, its plants and soil. It appears she knew enough or had quite a way with gardening.

Perhaps she was just lucky or she had quite that the fan base for other reasons. They (someone) didn't write a nursery rhyme about her for no reason. She had something going on.

I doubt if this was sheer luck - her successful gardening, unless she inherited this mature, well established plot of land and its vivacious vegetative and floral inhabitants. Mary knew something!

And, she probably understood soil and it importance, above all else, in regard to plants and lawns (plants, as well, duh), although she probably hired out the lawn care.

I'm going with the thought that Mary was quite the savvy and educated plant person - simply not an admirer of plants, their beauty and their names. Mary was one smart woman and she also understood:

• She could not simply look at soil and assume its health and nutrient content.
• That a so-called, balanced fertilizer, technically, held no value in regard to the health of her plant's soil.
• That almost all the specialized fertilizers were purely marketing ploys as almost all plants need the same levels, ratios and amounts of nutrients.
• That there is no such thing as plant food, as cute and attractive as it may seem. Plants don't eat food. They make their own food, primarily from nutrients in the soil, along with certain amounts of water and sunlight.
• She could throw all the amendments and fertilizers (possibly causing harm) into her garden or plants bed's soil and none of this would make much of a difference if the pH of the soil was lacking or completely off-the-chart.
• She would need to cover her gardens with mulch for protection from severe sunlight and heat, and to retain moisture.
• That providing a covering of mulch would also decompose over time and provide additional benefits to the soil. 

Above all, Mary understood one thing: "If I have no idea about the condition and health of my plant's (lawns, as well) soil, then it would be best if I do nothing at all." And, she's absolutely, correct!

Mary also knew the only way she could know what her soil needed (its composition, what it lacked, what it needed and its pH level) was to have it tested.

Back40 Landscape Restoration and Maintenance provides soil sample testing and a follow-up Report and Recommendations which includes:

• Technical Soil Test Results from a Certified Lab which would be useless to you without the following:
• Relaying these findings in terms you can understand and use, such as:
• Soil Characteristics - its physical make-up and its ability to retain, transfer or lose nutrients and water. There is also another chemical/electrical characteristic (CEC) here which plays into pH adjustment - very key to soil health.
• pH Level - where your soils pH level is and how easily (or not) it will respond to adjustment.
• pH Adjustment Recommendations - what it takes and over what time to raise (typical in this area) or lower your soil's pH.
• Nutrients - what levels of nutrients are present in your plant's soil - lacking, high or optimal (just fine) 
• Nutrient/Fertilizer Recommendations - what your plant's soil need and how often - when to begin. 

We are offering these services at the following rates within a four mile radius of downtown Forest Acres (wherever that is). There may be a slight adjustment for travel outside this area. Several soil extractions are taken from a given area; such as front yard, foundation plant bed, etc. and those areas are considered a single test/sampling.

____________

Initial test/sampling on a given property is $30.00.

Each additional test/sampling on the same property during the same visit is $15.00.

_____________

The customer receives a comprehensive Soil Test Results and Recommendations document in MS Word format via e-mail within one week after we receive results from the lab.

Yes, Back40 Landscape Restoration and Maintenance does other things - all tree, shrub, plant and plant bed, and other property health and aesthetic type things. How often do I need to state such obviousness? Geez.

Note 1: pH adjustments to soil can be made throughout the year and are best done as soon as recognized/needed.

Note 2: Fertilization and similar adjustments are mostly dictated by the growing season and occasionally a unique plant type, yet there may be other fertilizations and adjustments in lesser or other blends/proportions which may be beneficial afterward and prior to a plant's dormant period.

Oh, if you didn't know, the last lines of the nursery rhyme are:

With silver bells, and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row

And, the Eagles did a wonderful job with the last line...beautiful song on Hotel California: