Improving Your Soil: A Practical Guide to Soil Management for the Serious Home Gardener

by Keith Reid

Overview

Valuable advice from an expert in soil science.

Intended for both small- and medium-sized gardens, Improving Your Soil reveals the steps to take to achieve the perfect soil in which to grow plants. With clear and specific directions on how to amend poor soil, modify mediocre earth, aerate compacted topsoil and substrates as well as test pH levels, this book enables any gardener to nurture their plants and promote more abundant growth.

The features that indicate good soil include proper structure and nutrients that encourage healthy plant growth. Soil in "good tilth" is loamy, nutrient-rich and friable because it has an optimal mixture of sand, clay and organic matter that prevents severe compaction. Improving Your Soil shows gardeners how to improve the soil in their gardens to encourage good seed bedding and a strong root system for proper nutrient disbursement throughout various soil depths. Topics in the book include:

• Providing the right amount of water for plants
• The microscopic world of soils
• Crop rotations
• Types of compost and how to make good compost
• Managing soils to minimize pest and disease problems
• Overcoming common nutrient deficiencies
• Organic vs. mineral fertilizers.

The detailed information is complemented with line drawings, diagrams and illustrations that demonstrate various soil issues and how to resolve common problems. With information on remedying specific problems with particular plants, Improving Your Soil will be an often-consulted resource for all gardeners.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770852266
Publisher:	Firefly Books, Limited
Publication date:	02/27/2014
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	1,076,839
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Keith Reid is a soil scientist who used to work as a manager at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada assessing and advising growers about soil issues.

Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction: Seasons of the Soil
1. Getting Started: What Type of Soil Do You Have?
2. What Is Soil, and Why Is It Important?
3. Different Soils, Different Challenges
4. Soil Texture: The Bones of Your Soil
5. Soil Structure: The Skeleton of Your Soil
6. Soil Water
7. Irrigation Basics for Gardens
8. A Little Bit of Soil Chemistry
9. How Soil Holds Nutrients
10. Soil Life and Soil Organic Matter
11. Harnessing Biological Cycles for Our Benefit
12. Feeding Your Plants
13. Sustaining the Land
Glossary of Soil Terms
Appendix I: Selected Laboratories for Testing Garden Soils
Appendix II: Agricultural and Horticultural Extension Resources
Appendix III: Chemical Symbols and Formulas
Index

Preface

Preface

I'm part of a small minority who finds soil to be endlessly fascinating. Most people have a more prosaic interest in soil and, if they think about it at all, it is as a medium for growing plants. The most typical question about soil I hear is "What can I do to my soil to make my crops grow better?"

Soil scientists have been studying soil since the beginnings of scientific agriculture in the mid-1800's but we have barely begun to understand the intricate interplay between the air, water and minerals that make up soil. Each new discovery seems to create as many questions as answers.

This book is designed to help you manage your soil better so that you can grow a more bountiful garden by putting the right fixes in the right places. Soil does not exist in isolation. Unless it was delivered by a dump truck, the soil in your garden is a product of the parent material that was deposited thousands of years ago interacting with the cycles of rainfall, seasonal freezing and thawing and the plants that grew in soil. Over time, the plants influenced the soil, which in turn modified the environment for the plants.

My goal in writing this book is to demystify soil and offer practical methods that will allow you to grow a better garden. But I also hope this book will open your eyes to the many wonders of what goes on under your feet.

Editorial Reviews

★ 04/14/2014
Beginning with a broad overview of the subject of soil chemistry, Reid, a soil scientist for more than 30 years, leads the reader through a detailed discussion of the subject at hand. In 13 chapters, the author covers soil analysis, the basics of soil chemistry, soil structure and the implications of both, water and irrigation issues, exploiting biological cycles in service of gardening and the all-important issue of how improve and manage long term fertility in gardens and fields. Also provided is a guide to the warning signs of common soil deficiencies and how to troubleshoot common problems. The main body of the text is accompanied by a short glossary, three appendixes and an index that while not lengthy is sufficient. The author conveys a complex topic in a straightforward and well organized manner, using a clear writing style to good effect. Although this is not a long book, it is a surprisingly complete book, one that avoids both obfuscation and oversimplification. Intended for avid gardeners, it can also stand as an example of how to write popular science books. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Improving Your Soil features a reader-friendly discussion, organization and format — feats indeed, considering the wealth of scientific information included in this book. I don't think the topic of soil can be covered better than Keith Reid has managed here.

Texas Gardener - William Scheick

Improving Your Soil delves deeply into the intriguing mysteries of the foundation, and soul, of the garden. For such a detailed and technical book, (it) is remarkably inspiring as it explains how soil works to maintain healthy plant life... (Includes) an extensive roster of tips on assessing soil, along with realistic steps for improvement.

Victoria Times-Colonist - Helen Chesnut

Before you order that load of topsoil or begin stockpiling compost, I recommend reading (this) excellent book by Keith Reid, a soil scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada with over 30 years' experience.... In it, the author explains all aspects of soil and how it works. He begins by relating what's going on beneath our feet as each seasonal cycle passes, how heat, cold and moisture affect the microscopic life in the soil. He shows how to identify the kind of soil in your garden, explains how it feeds plants, and describes the structure and texture of soil. There's much, much more, including a bit on soil chemistry, too, but don't let scientific references deter you. The author's stated goal is to demystify soil and offer practical methods that will allow you to grow a better garden. It's a fascinating read and I'd consider it essential reading for the serious gardener. It should convince anyone that the answer really does lie in the soil.

Guelph Mercury—Waterloo Region Record - David Hobson

Soil scientist Keith Reid reveals the steps to take to achieve the perfect soil base in which to grow plants... Improving Your Soil shows gardeners how to improve the soil in their garden to encourage good seed bedding and a strong root system for proper nutrient disbursement throughout various soil depths. The detailed information is complemented with line drawings, diagrams and illustrations that demonstrate various soil issues and how to resolve common problems.

Calgary Sun

This book is so comprehensive, it would make an excellent textbook for an entry level college course on soils... Improving Your Soil will not only give you a better understanding of soil in general and how it works, but also will help you make more informed choices to improve and manage its performance in your own garden.

Jeff Lowenfelsn Gardener

This book is great source of information that is easily understood and applied in the home garden.... Whether we realize it or not, identifying your specific type of soil, the importance of the content of the soil, and how it functions are all crucial to any home gardener or landscaper. Not understanding the soil that you are working with could become a growing challenge.... Soil health translates into healthier plants and a happier homeowner....This was a terrific book and I would highly recommend it to the homeowner who wants to build a strong, healthy foundation of soil to grow in.

Washington Gardener - Teresa Speight

If you have ever wondered how your soil makes on impact on your home garden, this title is the perfect primer. After a discussion of what happens underground as each season passes, the author breaks down how soil is structured and what you can do to manage it successfully. Identifying soil type, creating a proper irrigation system and conquering common soil problems just scratch the surface of what is contained in this comprehensive guide. Reid, who has more than 30 years of experience in soil management, has written a highly readable and practical book for avid gardeners.

Green Bay Press-Gazette

This book is so comprehensive, it would make an excellent textbook for an entry level college course on soils... Improving Your Soil will not only give you a better understanding of soil in general and how it works, but also will help you make more informed choices to improve and manage its performance in your own garden.

American Gardener - Jeff Lowenfels

Before you order that load of topsoil or begin stockpiling compost, I recommend reading (this) excellent book by Keith Reid, a soil scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada with over 30 years' experience.... In it, the author explains all aspects of soil and how it works. He begins by relating what's going on beneath our feet as each seasonal cycle passes, how heat, cold and moisture affect the microscopic life in the soil. He shows how to identify the kind of soil in your garden, explains how it feeds plants, and describes the structure and texture of soil. There's much, much more, including a bit on soil chemistry, too, but don't let scientific references deter you. The author's stated goal is to demystify soil and offer practical methods that will allow you to grow a better garden. It's a fascinating read and I'd consider it essential reading for the serious gardener. It should convince anyone that the answer really does lie in the soil.

Guelph Mercury-Waterloo Region Record - David Hobson

★ 04/01/2014
. pap. $29.95. GARDENINGA successful garden doesn't start with the plants; it starts with the soil. Unfortunately, many gardeners struggle with the complexities of managing and improving dirt. For those mired in trying to understand what pH, tilth, field capacity, and cation exchange capacity have to do with their vegetables and flowers, soil scientist Reid's new book will be helpful. Reid (manager, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) breaks a complicated subject into manageable pieces written in lay terms. In 13 chapters the author covers everything from soil type, texture, and structure to irrigation basics, making the work an exceptional introduction for new gardeners and a solid reference for the more advanced. Even the chapter on soil chemistry is written so as to make it understandable to nonscience readers. Further, Reid's excitement and fascination with his topic shows in his prose. With color and line illustrations, a glossary, and appendixes on soil labs, extensive resources, and chemical symbols and formulas. VERDICT This book is an excellent resource that both first-time and experienced home gardeners will find accessible and useful.—Lisa Ennis, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham Lib.

Library Journal