Soils matter, so plan before you plant

Cooler weather is getting closer!! The nurseries are bursting with flowers, vegetable seedlings, trees and shrubs. Neighbors are busy trimming their plants and lawns are being renovated for the winter rye.

The soils in your yard contribute to the success or failure of your planting efforts. Soils in urban areas may share some of the characteristics of farm fields or other urban areas. There are large differences in soils as they occur naturally and in areas that are converted to housing. Construction activities, compaction and soil surface sealing dramatically change soil properties and can result in soil damage that prevents successful plant growth.

The soil that exists in your yard can be affected by how much was excavated or brought into your lot when the foundation was put in, where there was a mixing of the original soil and fill dirt and the source of the fill.

Changing the order of the layers of soil or just mixing them up can change how the soil absorbs water, how much the roots grow and how much air is available in the soil for the plants. The disposal of construction waste such as cement or washing out of cement trucks will influence the chemicals in the soil surface or deeper.

All soil is made up of air, water, numerous kinds of living and dead organisms, organic matter and mineral matter: sand, silt or clay. Soils act like sponges soaking up rainwater and limiting runoff. Soils act like faucets, storing and releasing water and air for plants and animals to use.

Soils act like supermarkets providing valuable nutrients and store carbon, preventing its loss into the atmosphere. Soils act like strainers or filters, purifying water and air that flow through them.

Soils buffer, degrade, immobilize, detoxify and trap pollutants such as oil, pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals, keeping them from entering groundwater supplies. Nutrients for future use by plants and animals above and microbes below are stored in the soil.

Wherever you choose to buy a home or property to build on, it is important to check on the soils you have to work with. It is important to look at the property in relation to the other properties in the area. Particularly important is where the rain drains to during storms. Today’s subdivisions usually require on-site storage of rain or a drainage plan that moves excess water away from structures.

Arizona desert soils tend to be alkaline or somewhat salty. To successfully grow flowers or vegetables, amendments may be needed to correct the soil chemistry. Irrigation water quality is important for healthy growth and applying the right amount of water for the plant’s growth stage will help create good growing conditions.

If the challenge of planting in the ground is more than you want to try, raised gardens, container gardening or use of larger metal troughs filled with soil mixtures including organic matter, manure and soil are great ways to have fresh vegetables and flowers without digging and bending. Containers can be placed for optimum light and temperature conditions for the plants being grown.

The Cooperative Extension Service and Master Gardeners can provide localized information for successful gardening. Remember, before you plant, plan!