Garden Prep Time!

It's that time of year again when we start freshening up our gardens for another season of growing!  Here at Reformation Farms, we are busily preparing for another year of producing fresh greens and veggies and all of that starts with... the soil!  What an amazing setup right under our feet.  Simple yet complex, humble yet so stunning, Gods beautifully designed system gives such an abundance if we give to it abundantly with the resources our Maker provides!   As you all may be "digging" into your garden plans (pun intended ; )  we thought we would post a few of the things we are doing to achieve maximum fertility this year:

1. Take A Soil Test                                                                                                                            This may seem like an obvious suggestion, but it's amazing what you learn about your particular soil needs after getting a soil analysis (we are not talking about a local university lab where they only test N, P, K and PH levels.)  Logan Labs, located in Lakeview, OH, is the company we have had great results with and they have affordable prices with straight forward instructions anyone can follow.   We definitely recommend them!
2. Get a Soil Recommendation                                                                             ​It's one thing to get a soil test, but it's a totally different thing to decipher what all of those numbers mean.  Having someone else give you a professional reading and recommendation is absolutely the easiest and most stress free option out there.  They not only interpret the soil test, but they also tell you what to buy and how much to apply to get your mineral levels where they need to be.  Here is a link to the gentleman we consulted.  www.soilminerals.com/soiltestservices.htm​​
3. Apply Extra Compost                                                                                                      Adding extra compost to your soil - especially if it's a first year garden - really boosts soil health and overall yield.  Also, feeding the organisms living in your garden is a very important part of sustainable agriculture.  When you put compost and organic material down, worms, nematodes, fungi and other micro organisms attack and process it, turning it into something your plants can utilize.  Without organic material to attract and feed these little power houses, your dirt (i.e. minerals) are just sitting, waiting to be mined.  How does this affect your plants?  Well, they either are stunted in their growth, or they die all together.  We can see then that these macro and micro-organisms are really the key to a successful garden.
4. Cover The Soil With A Mulch                                                                                    In addition to compost, we have found another amazing boost to overall soil health is always keeping it covered, especially in the hot and humid summer months.  A covering, whether it be wood chips, leaves, grass clippings, landscaping fabric, or even compost, keeps the soil moist for your plant's root systems.  This allows you to water less, keeps your beautiful soil and mineral amendments from washing away, provides a welcoming environment for all of your beneficial insects to hide, and much, much more.  This is also one of the best ways to attract earth worms if you don't have a large population already established in your soil.

​Hopefully this was helpful to someone today!  May God Bless and happy Gardening!

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