creative blossoms

Hello Everyone!

Saturday workshop was a huge success, the weather cooperated and everything went along as planned.

At the outset I would like to give Colin a big shout-out for all the samples ( soil / plant / compost ) and the great questions…and speaking about questions, here are a few from the workshop.

What does pH stand for?

Potential of Hydrogen, and the scale is from 1.0 to 14.0 with 7.0 being neutral anything below acid and above alkaline.

Why is pH important?

Proper plant ID would include the pH and with this knowledge you will give the plant a good start to absorbing nutrients and give it less of a chance of being malnourished and it being an easy prey to pest or getting a disease. You do not want the soil too sweet or too sour for its needs. To lower the pH add sulfur ( 20lbs per 1000 sq ft ) to rise the pH add lime ( 50lbs per 1000 sq ft ).

If you wish a free soil test, just drop a few labeled bags at Creative Blossoms from your property and pick them up the next day. If you want a detailed analysis of the nutrients in your soil you can request a private soil test ( for a small fee per area ) with a 3-5 day turn around or you can contact your local Cooperative Extension Service.

The next phase of the class was on soil texture and it must be said here that texture is relative to the plant with sandy soil being best for a cactus because it drains fast and if it was in a clay base dsoil it would get water logged and die from root rot; since, clay drains slower it resist drought better than any other texture but can stay wet way to long following heavy rains like we the one we have had lately. Loamy soil is best because of its semi-firm texture and stays wet evenly which aids in easy rooting, water and fertilizer being absorbed quickly. Most of the time when you hear the word soil its in reference to the topsoil – the first 4-5 inches; however, there is subsoil – below 5 inches – and if you are not able to shovel complete holes in it just half dig holes and run some water into them for a few hours, and the digging will become easier. If you want to make your subsoil lighter and looser, just add compost or other organic matter and it will break down and fluff up the subsoil.

It all starts with the soil pH and texture, plants grow from the bottom up, obviously, and suffer most when placed or began in the wrong soil medium. So the foundation for any good garden or lawn is good, reliable, soil.

Remember: Even if you get a plant for free, give it a $10 hole!