🍃 Improving Your Soil

🌱 Improving Your Soil

Healthy soil = healthy plants. It’s the foundation of gardening success.

✅ Better watering & fertilizing

✅ Stronger plants & bigger blooms

✅ Ongoing investment in your garden

🔍 Why Test Soil?

Soil testing is the first step to improving your garden. A soil test will:

🧱 Identify soil type (clay, sandy, etc.)

🌿 Reveal nutrient or micronutrient deficiencies

⚖️ Pinpoint soil pH (acidic or alkaline)

📍 Soil testing available at:

Oklahoma County Extension Center

2500 NE 63rd St, Oklahoma City, OK 73111

📞 (405) 713-1125

👉 Bring results to TLC Garden Centers for recommendations.

🌿 Benefits of Organic Matter

Adding 2–3" of organic matter each year helps:

Loosen clay for better drainage

Make fertilizer more available

Help sandy soils hold water and nutrients

Reduce erosion

Supply natural nitrogen

Lower alkalinity

Boost beneficial soil organisms

🌸 Options for Organic Matter

Chemical-free, safe amendments for clay or sandy soil

Back to Earth Composted Cotton Burrs – composted cotton burrs

Happy Gro Organic Compost – composted bark fines

Nature’s Prescription Humalfa – composted cattle manure & alfalfa hay

Miracle-Gro Garden Soil – peat moss, coir and/or composted forest products, fertilizer

Raised Bed Mix - peat moss, rice hulls and/or composted forest products, worm castings

Sphagnum Peat Moss – composed from mosses of the Sphagnum plant, lowers pH

❌ Do not use grass clippings unless composted with carbon-rich materials

👉 TLC Garden Centers recommends Back to Earth Composted Cotton Burrs

👨‍🌾 Bed Preparation

🔄 Call OKIE 811 before digging to mark utility lines

🚫 Remove existing grass & weeds from bed area

⚠️ Well-drained soil is essential

✔ Poor/heavy soils → use raised beds or 4–6" mounds

🌼 Flowers beds & vegetable gardens

Spread 2–3" of 50% Back to Earth™ Composted Cotton Burrs over bed area

Turn/till 4–8" deep into existing soil

🪴Trees & shrubs

Prepare soil with a mix of 50% Back to Earth™ Composted Cotton Burrs and 50% existing soil

💚 Planting Steps

🕳️ Dig holes 2× root ball width

🌸 Place plant root ball top slightly above soil. Firm soil gently

✂️ Cut twine/rope around trunk. Leave burlap in place

💧 Water deeply at soil level (not just sprinkler systems) → later same day use Fertilome™ Root Stimulator

🌲 Add 2–3" layer of Grade A Western Cedar Mulch to keep roots cool

🪢 Stake for 2 years → use DeWitt™ Stake Straight Kit or T-posts (larger trees)

🌺 Building soil health is the best investment for a thriving garden.

TLC Garden Center OKC - Improving Your Soil.docx - Google Docs.pdf

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