What Kind Of Soil Should I Use To Grow Fruits And Vegetables?

In order to grow healthy homegrown organic food, it all starts with healthy soil.

The best kind of soil to use for growing fruits and vegetables is a soil with plenty of organic matter to keep your plants happy.

The thing is, soil can be a bit complicated and there are a lot of different types of organic matter you can use to feed the soil.

That’s right, I said feed the soil.

When growing organic fruits and vegetables, you want to feed the soil, which, in turn will feed your plants.

Understanding soil composition, what nutrients should be in it, and how to improve it using organic methods is important if you want your plants to thrive, not only for one season, but for many seasons to come.

Soil Composition

So what exactly is soil made of? Soil is made up of different ratios of clay, sand and silt.

The amount of each of those ingredients, determines the texture of the soil.

The texture of the soil affects the soil’s behavior, most importantly, how much water and nutrients it can hold.

A soil in which neither sand, silt, nor clay dominates is called loam soil.

When you add some organic matter to loam soil, it becomes the ideal soil for growing fruits and vegetables due to its good drainage qualities and its ability to retain water and nutrients really well.

These qualities are also essential if you want to have a healthy organic soil mixture.

Macronutrients: The Primary and Secondary Nutrients

So, what nutrients should be in your soil? Your soil should have at least the basic nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).

These are your primary nutrients and are the most commonly listed nutrients on organic fertilizers or soil amendments, listed using the “N-P-K” Ratios.

A common assumption with soil nutrition is thinking that the primary nutrients (N, P and K) are the only nutrients you should worry about.

In fact, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S) are secondary nutrients that are just as important as the primary nutrients.

Both primary and secondary nutrients are commonly referred to as macronutrients.

Too many macronutrients can often restrict how much micronutrients are available.

Too few macronutrients and you’ll end up with poor plant growth and plants that are highly susceptible to disease and insect infestations.

Let’s take a look at why the primary and secondary nutrients are both vital to proper soil nutrition.

Primary Nutrients

Nitrogen (N)

• Aids in the production of amino acids
• Helps with plant cell division and plant growth
• Directly involved in photosynthesis
• Essential component of vitamins
• Required for the production and use of carbohydrates

Nitrogen deficiencies can cause yellow leaves, thin stems, slowed growth and sometimes yellowing of the stem.

Phosphorus (P)

• Needed for genetic material, cell membranes, root development, seed number and size
• Facilitates the use of energy, photosynthesis, respiration, energy storage and transfer
• Helps with cell division and enlargement
• Promotes early root formation
• Improves quality of grains, fruits and vegetables

Low phosphorus levels can cause roots to stop growing, overall slow growth, poor fruit and vegetable production, and even purple leaves.

Potassium (K)

• Needed for carbohydrate metabolism
• Influences the uptake of nitrogen, calcium, and sodium
• Increases photosynthesis
• Essential to protein synthesis
• Important in fruit formation
• Activates enzymes and controls their reaction rates
• Enhances quality of seeds and fruit
• Improves winter hardiness
• Increases disease resistance

A potassium deficiency can cause overall growth to stop, weak stems, burnt leaf edges and disease vulnerability.

Secondary Nutrients

Calcium (Ca)

• Helps regulate access to plant cells
• Used for continuous cell division and formation
• Involved in nitrogen metabolism
• Required for enzyme activation and cell reproduction
• Reduces plant respiration and aids in the translocation of photosynthesis
• Increases fruit set and stimulates microbial activity

When calcium levels are low, they can cause serious problems to your edible plants such as curling leaves and cell membranes to break apart, producing thin cell walls which ultimately make your plants vulnerable to insect infestations.

Calcium deficiency in your soil can also cause major headaches with blossom end rot.

Magnesium (Mg)

• Needed for the chlorophyll molecules that put the green in plants
• Used for enzyme activation; improves utilization and mobility of phosphorus
• Increases iron utilization in plants and influences earliness and uniformity of maturity

Yellowing leaves and even lower crop yields can be attributed to low magnesium levels.

Sulfur (S)

• An integral part of animo acids needed to build proteins
• Contributes to the development of several enzymes and vitamins
• Aids in seed production
• Promotes nodule formation on legumes
• Needed in chlorophyll formation

Yellowing of young leaves is usually correlated with sulfur deficiencies.

Micronutrients: The Trace Elements

Now that we have learned about macronutrients (which included both primary and secondary nutrients), what are micronutrients?

Micronutrients are trace elements (trace nutrients), such as iron (Fe), chloride (Cl), zinc (Z), copper (Cu), boron (B), molybdenum (Mo) and Manganese (Mg) that are an important part of soil nutrition, although found in smaller trace amounts than macronutrients.

Too many micronutrients can cause discoloration in your plants and reduced growth.

Too few micronutrients and you won’t get enough flowering, resulting in a smaller yield.

Let’s explore these not-so-well-known nutrients and why they are so important to have in your soil if you want to grow the best organic homegrown food at home, with the least amount of hassle.

Iron (Fe)

• Important for nitrogen fixation
• Required for chlorophyll synthesis
• Used in other enzymes and proteins

Iron deficiencies are usually only found in alkaline soil. Low iron levels in the soil can cause yellowing between enlarged veins and short, skinny stems.

Chloride (Cl)

• Most soils have enough chloride for adequate plant nutrition

Low chloride levels are typically reported in high rainfall areas with sandy soils or soils derived from low-chloride minerals. However, this micronutrient is not usually a concern due to such low areas of deficiency being found.

Zinc (Z)

• Essential component of various enzyme systems for energy production, protein synthesis and growth regulation
• Needed to produce plant growth hormones
• Greatly benefits seed and grain production and maturation

Yellowing and mottling of leaves are typical signs of zinc deficiencies. Plants also show delayed maturity.

Copper (Cu)

• Important for reproductive growth
• A catalyst for enzyme and chlorophyll synthesis
• Aids root metabolism
• Helps in using proteins

Copper deficiency symptoms usually appear on younger plants. Symptoms can include yellowing of the youngest leaves and stunted growth. Leaves also die off after becoming shriveled up in some extreme cases.

Boron (B)

• Important for all growing tissues; Exists in cell membrane.
• Needed for nitrogen fixation
• Protein synthesis
• Starch and sugar transport
• Root growth
• Water uptake and transport

Low boron levels are more likely to be found in alkaline soils and can lead to dying growing points and cell disruption.

Molybdenum (Mo)

• Important for nitrogen metabolism
• Protein synthesis
• Needed to convert inorganic phosphates to organic forms

Soils with low molybdenum levels can cause deformed and thinning leaves, although deficiencies mainly occur in acidic soils.

Manganese (Mn)

• Needed for synthesis of chlorophyll
• Assists in vitamin, carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism.

When manganese levels are low, new leaf growth stops and pale coloration occurs between veins. However, low levels are most often found in alkaline soils. 

The Hidden Nutrients

Of course, in addition to the 13 nutrients mentioned above, plants also require carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O).

These nutrients are probably the most taken for granted. They have become so second-nature that we often forget they are a part of the formula.

Plants extract these elements from air and water to make up the bulk of their weight.

How Do I Improve My Existing Soil?

If you already have an area of your yard that you want to use and want to improve the soil, then add plenty of organic matter.

Compost and manure are the most commonly used types of organic matter for home garden use.

Although AZOMITE (rock dust) is not as commonly used as compost and manure, it has become more popular among urban farmers in past few years.

Here are some tips for working with compost, manure and AZOMITE in your garden:

Compost

What is compost? Compost is basically the dead matter that has been broken down by microorganisms and is a cocktail of nutrients that your soil and your plants will love.

It typically consists of organic matter such as grass trimmings, yard wastes, plant trimmings, fallen leaves, basically any “wet” kitchen scraps other than oils and meat.

With compost, the nutrients in the organic matter are released slowly. Compost is so nutrient rich that it can actually feed a plant for a whole year, sometimes even longer.

Although, you’ll want to apply compost more than once a year if you want your plants to be healthy and nutrient rich.

The diverse nutrients found in compost provides a rich environment for plants to grow in, which synthetic nutrients cannot provide.

This healthy environment leads to healthier, disease-resistant plants that are packed with nutrients.

By adding compost to your existing soil, you can build your soil up with more nutrients and microbes which will help your plants grow healthy and provide a great crop. 

The great thing about compost is that you can add compost to help improve your garden soil at any time.

You can make your own compost or you can buy it at your local nursery or garden section of your local hardware store.

If you want some good soil recommendations and additional resources, check out our soil care and fertilizers resource page.

Manure

What is manure? Manure is animal waste. Although it can be an effective way to spread nutrients into your soil, it can be also be risky if not done properly.

Try to avoid compost made from sewage sludge or other bio-solids as they have been linked to heavy metals and pathogens that can spread and be harmful to humans.

Manure, or animal waste, is another effective way to spread nutrients into your soil. However, fresh manure is not recommend for use in home gardening as raw manure can release ammonia, which can potentially harm your plants.

Manure must be composted for a long time before it can be considered safe to use in your home garden. Properly composted manure is a great source for nutrient-rich material to mix with your soil.

Chicken, rabbit, sheep, horse, goat or cow manures are perfect for vegetable garden use.

Never use the waste of meat eating animals such as cats or dog, as carnivore waste can carry harmful pathogens.

When composted properly and added to your soil, manure can add tons of nutritional value into your soil.

AZOMITE

What is AZOMITE? AZOMITE, which is a registered trade mark, stands for “A–Z Of Minerals Including Trace Elements” and is derived from volcanic ash or rock dust. 

When added to your soil, it provides an array of minerals that are vital to plant growth and cell protection.

AZOMITE is a great organic source of trace minerals such as iron (Fe), chloride (Cl), zinc (Z), copper (Cu), boron (B), molybdenum (Mo) and Manganese (Mg).

WARNING: The small particles found in AZOMITE can be potentially dangerous to breathe, always use safety and only apply while using an air filter mask.

Organic Fertilizers

Your plants will be feeding heavily on the nutrients in your soil. Make sure you provide enough food throughout the months as your plants grow.

Fast acting organic fertilizers include: liquid animal manures, fish emulsion

Slow-releasing organic fertilizers include: fish meals, feather meals, alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, bone meal, kelp meal, seaweed extracts, blood meal, and other soil amendments which contain organic matter that slowly breakdown nutrients and feed your soil.

The nutrients from organic fertilizers can persist for many months because they become part of the living soil.

Organic fertilizers work with the soil, not against it.

By using organic fertilizers, you are likely to increase your yields and the quality of the food you grow, when compared to using chemical fertilizers.

Most organic fertilizers are safe to use around pets and children, but make sure to check your labels.

Once again, if you’re not sure which fertilizers to use, be sure to check out our soil care and fertilizers resource page for some great tips and organic fertilizer recommendations.

Why Are Chemical Fertilizers Bad for the Soil?

Sure, giving your plants a chemical boost sounds tempting, especially if you really want your garden to be successful.

So, what’s wrong with using chemical fertilizers? The problem with chemical fertilizers is that they don’t feed the soil, they only feed the plant.

Because chemical fertilizers don’t replace anything back into the soil, long-term use of chemical fertilizers will eventually deplete the natural nutrients found in the soil and will make your soil dependent on chemical fertilizers.

The solution: feed the soil, not the plants. 

Feed the soil and the soil will take care of feeding the plants.

Also, when organic matter isn’t replaced back into the soil, the beneficial organisms begin to die out and the soil loses it’s structure, becoming hard and unproductive.

Plants grown with chemical fertilizers become weak because they are forced to grow fast.

As their cell walls develop, they don’t have enough time to produce sufficient amounts of cellulose and lignins, which are vital to strengthening the cell walls. This results in softer plant tissue, which becomes attractive for pests to consume.

Ultimately, chemical fertilizers don’t add any long-term value to your soil and your plants will become dependent on them. You now have a clearer understanding of why having healthy soil is such an important part of sustainably growing healthy organic food.

Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants, Healthy You

There you have it, everything you need to know about soil nutrition.

I know it can be overwhelming but understanding what it takes to have healthy soil is important so that you can implement sustainable practices in your garden. Taking the time to do this, now, will save you huge headaches in the long run.

Remember, having healthy soil, means having healthy plants.

Having healthy plants, means you’ll be eating truly nutrient-dense food. 🌱

 

Photo Credit:

Yellow Leaves on a Tomato Plant Caused By Nitrogen Deficiency By Goldlocki (This is of my own making.) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

Blossom End Rot Caused by Calcium Deficiency on Cherry Tomato By A13ean [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

Shovel Digging into Dirt by user: Lukas @ Pexels.com

Azomite Mineral Ore by Mila Radulovic [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons