In last week’s article I left off with soil. Soil and water is the core of every garden. The better your soil, the greater results you will have with plant growth because your plants will be happy and consequently produce outstanding veggies.

There’s a lot of misunderstanding about soil and what it is, especially if you’re new to the subject. When I first started exploring this subject I was always confused by terms like — well-drained, loose, friable, rich, well-graded, pH, & NPK. I often thought I needed to carry a dictionary just to understand what the heck people were talking about. To be honest, in reality it’s fairly simple as long as you keep in mind that plants need basic nutrients to thrive. I often tell my children to feed their plants what they need and they will surprise you with outstanding results.

To understand what a plant needs is to understand what pH and NPK is. PH is the acidity and alkalinity levels within a plant. The pH scale runs from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral. Most plants thrive with a pH between 6 & 7. NPK is Nitrogen, Phosphorus, & Potassium. Nitrogen promotes luxurious leaf growth, Phosphorus promotes strong stems and seeds and helps the plant resist disease and Potassium promotes healthy stems and roots. It also helps in produce production.

In gardening it is critical that the soil remain soft and crumbly during the plants growth cycle. If you walk on the soil it will become compressed and make it difficult for the roots of the plant to expand in its search for nutrients. Plants do not consume soil; they draw nutrients from the soil.

One of the best ways to get your soil soft and crumbly is to add organic matter, e.g., compost, cattle manure, coffee grounds, horse manure, etc. The organic matter will break down in the soil and provide the nutrients to the growing plant. This process happens naturally in every forest, pasture and yard.

For more information on this highly dynamic matter consider consulting our area Master Gardeners or University of Idaho Extension Office.

When cleaning with any cleaning product, always wear eye protection and rubber gloves to protect your hands. If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES (208-255-2266) or toll free at 1-877-311-NWES. E-mail them to nwees@hughes. net  or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St. , Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed do? For more information about Ed’s company, check him out at NWESINC. COM.

Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified forensic, fire, flood, mold inspection and remediation contractor. Ed is the president of  Northwest Executive & Environmental Services, Inc.