Help Your Backyard Plants Get The Nutrients
They Need
All plants require certain nutrients for good growth. Carbon and oxygen
are taken in through the leaves during photosynthesis, while the rest of
the required nutrients normally are taken up through the roots.
Most nutrients and water are taken up through the very fine roots called
root hairs. These are very small, but are extremely numerous and
effective in nutrient uptake. They are crucial for good plant
maintenance.
The more soil the roots are able to
penetrate, the more potential they have to
contact needed nutrients and water. Therefore, providing a
non-compacted, well-drained soil is important for optimum growth of most
plant species.
These tips will help your plants develop healthy root systems or maximum
nutrient uptake:
Do not work in your garden when the soil is wet. Working the soil when
it is too wet causes compaction, which makes soil particles clump
together, reducing the pore space between particles.
This makes it more
difficult for roots to penetrate the soil and leads to reduced water
infiltration and increased runoff. While it may be tempting on those
warm early spring days to dig up the garden, you should wait.
The right
time to work in your garden is when the soil crumbles slightly when you
squeeze it in your hand. Add organic matter to your soil. Organic matter
is extremely important in improving soil structure and
increasing pore space.
Organic matter improves the ability of the soil
to hold moisture during dry spells. Worms thrive on soil organic matter
and are excellent at improving the structure of the soil through their
tunneling activities.
Also, their castings or excrement is an excellent
source of plant nutrients. Compost and peat moss are both excellent
sources of organic matter for on going plant maintenance.
Mulch your soil. Organic mulches such as bark
chips or grass clippings help protect your soil from the impact of
raindrops. They prevent crusting of the soil surface. Crusting of the
soil can prevent seeds from sprouting and reduces
infiltration of water into the soil. As mulch decomposes, it also adds
more organic matter to the soil.
Remember that some mulches will lower
the pH (the acidity of the soil), making some nutrients less available.
Use raised beds for a garden if your yard has heavy, poorly drained
soils.
Raised beds can be made using tillage equipment. You can make
permanent beds with rot-resistant wood, filled with a mixture of soil
and organic
matter. But, you may decide that growing plants tolerant of wet
conditions is a less troublesome, more rewarding experience!
If you
treat your soil well, your plants should develop extensive healthy roots
capable of taking up the required plant nutrients.
Author:
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