How To Prepere Soil For Garden Arizona Style

Healthy soil is the first step to healthy productive plants. It's important to feed your soil and prepare it before you plant each season.

Get your soil ready for planting

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.

How to prepare your soil for planting #soil#healthysoil #fallplanting #springplanting

Prepare your soil for planting by adding compost

I prepare my soil by doing a few things. First, I add lots of compost. If you make your own, great! If not, bagged also works. Be sure to buy several different brands so your garden gets a nice blend.

If you are just getting started and wondering which soil to fill your raised beds with, this post explains the mix I like to use.

Spring Gardening in Arizona

How to Compost: 10 Simple Steps for Composting Success

Test your soil and add correct amendments

Best Organic Garden Fertilizer

A soil test measures nutrient deficiencies and the pH level. Having your soil tested provides the necessary information on what your garden may be lacking, and what would be beneficial to add.

After testing, follow the recommendations and add any or all of the following to your soil before planting to prepare the soil.

Prepare your soil for planting by adding Azomite

Watering and growing plants year after year depletes essential minerals and micro-nutrients from soils. Adding Azomite can improve soils that have been depleted of these important minerals and micro-nutrients.

Prepare your soil for planting by adding worm castings

Worm castings are one of the best natural fertilizers. They encourage plant growth and are absorbed easily and immediately by plants. Worm castings add beneficial microbes and bacteria to the soil. They also make soil more absorbent, helping to prevent soil from completely drying out.

Arizona Garden in February Arizona Vegetable Garden Checklist #arizonagarden #gardenchecklist #thismonthinthegarden #garden

Prepare your soil for planting by adding Gypsum

Gypsum is a naturally occurring source of calcium sulfate which helps bind organic matter to clay in soil. Gypsum is beneficial for breaking up clay and compact soil.

Prepare your soil for planting by adding Blood Meal

Blood meal acts quickly in the garden to fix nitrogen deficiency. One application can feed plants for several weeks. Be careful when applying nitrogen to young plants, as too much can burn them. I like to add some into the soil before planting. Be sure to follow label instructions for proper amounts.

Prepare your soil for planting by adding Bone Meal

Bone meal adds phosphorus and calcium to the soil. Plants need phosphorus for healthy root development and flower growth. The nitrogen and calcium it contains are also beneficial to plants. If used in the correct amount, there is little risk of burning plants because bone meal is taken up by plants slowly over time.

Your garden soil needs a variety of nutrients to thrive. Taking the time at the beginning of each season to add compost and amendments to your soil will improve not only your soil but your harvests too!