Growing Organic Flowers-Soil Chemistry

The chemistry of the soil is one of the most critical factors to the success, or lack of success, in the home garden. If the soil in your area is poor, chances are you will be unable to grow those beautiful blooms until the soil has been amended with organic compost and fertilizers.

One mistake many gardeners make is to assume that the soil chemistry will be the same all over their property. It is important to have each part of your property you plan to use for flower growing tested, especially if the areas are far apart. For a small fee you can have your soil tested at your local garden center, or you can buy a small testing kit and test the soil yourself.

A thorough soil analysis will give you a good baseline to go by and a great way to monitor the quality of the land. A test can quickly point our problems like an uneven pH level, insufficient organic materials in the soil, or insufficient nutrients.

Since most soils are deficient in one or more nutrients, the levels of phosphorus, nitrogen and other organic matter are not high enough; your plants may not grow and bloom.

Chances are you already have some plants in mind for your new garden, and if so it is important to understand what those plants need in order to thrive. While most common varieties of annuals, perennials and bulbs will grow in a wide range of conditions, some other varieties can be a bit more demanding.

If you plan to grow roses in your garden, for instance, it is a good idea to know the pH level of your soil, and amend it if necessary. Most roses are acid loving plants, and therefore they may not grow properly in soil that is very alkaline. The good news is that alkaline soil can often be brought into balance by adding good quality humus and working it through the soil. If the humus alone is not sufficient, the addition of sulfur to the soil can often help turn the soil more acidic.

You can see why soil chemistry is such an important first step toward growing the perfect garden. Growing the best flowers in town is a worthy goal. Be sure your soil is up to the task.

Every year, some chemical thought to have been safe is banned somewhere in the world. One of the early cases was DDT. It did kill maliaria-carrying mosquitoes, but it was also found to build up in the bodies of animals and birds, causing untold losses of wildlife. The soil insecticide dieldrin and the selective weed killer Ioxynil, are now suspected of causing birth defects, and the herbicide, trichlorophenoxy-acetic acid, or 2,4,5-T, has been linked with cancer.

If you grow the right kind of plants to encourage the birds and beneficial bugs, all will do a good job for you building up a miniature eco-system.

Organic gardening way is quite simple:Every element of nature-plants, animals, insects and soil-all work together to create a natural cycle in the garden and work together.

Whether you already have a certified green thumb, or you are just beginning to explore the rich world of organic gardening, we hope you will find the many tips, hints, and shortcuts in this guide useful and interesting.