With warmer weather around the corner (hopefully), many of us are itching to get out and start
the process of prepping our soil for a successful gardening year. This is a suitable time to start
considering what you might want to plant for this year’s crops.
One thing to start considering other than the vegetables/fruit you hope to plant is the preparation you can do with the soil. The best soil suitable for vegetables includes an abundance of compost and organic matter. The compost helps hold more moisture and nutrients within the soil. According to Carrie Knutson, NDSU Extension agent in Grand Forks County, organic matter is the best amendment for any soil situation. Organic matter can be added in the fall or spring on top of the existing garden soil about 2 to 3 inches deep before working the soil.
One of the last steps you can take in preparing your garden for a prosperous year, add the correct type of fertilizer. Carrie Knutson explains that the typical fertilizer nutrients that plants need are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The only way to know for sure what your soil needs is to run a soil test on your garden.
To learn more about spring gardening, North Dakota State University is hosting “Spring Fever
Garden Forums”. They’re offering a series of free workshops for gardeners. The NDSU Stutsman County Extension office will be glad to have you attend these forums in person at the office. Some of the topics that will be talked about include:
- Vegetables and Soil
- Flowers and Fruit
- Biology and Technology
- Small Spaces and Trees.
The Spring Fever Garden Forums will run on Mondays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. from March 20 to April 10.
For more information on this topic, contact Ashley Wolff, NDSU ANR Extension agent in Stutsman County, at (701) 252-9030 or Ashley.n.wolff@ndsu.edu.
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