Adding general organic soil amendments, such as compost and other organic matter, to your gardens and flower beds in the fall or spring prevents soil compaction and replenishes nutrients used by the previous year’s plantings. What’s more, Fall and Spring cleanup projects, lawn mowing and leaf raking, provide an abundance of free organic material that is ideal for use in organic soil improvements. Your gardens will thrive with a boost from organic amendments at either time of year (or both!).

Periodic organic soil improvements are needed to continuously meet your garden’s demands for nutrients. Without adequate soil nutrition, the health and yield of blooms, vegetables and fruits will suffer. Additionally, organic soil amendments are used to correct drainage problems and increase aeration of the soil. Improving your soil in the fall gives your garden adequate time to process and break down organics, so spring is met with a soil preparation that is balanced in both nutrition and texture. Spring organic amendments deliver new, nutrient packed organic soil at the ready for plant growth and health.

Before you begin, you first need to determine what your organic soil is lacking. The experience of the past planting season should be an indication as to whether or not drainage is an issue you need to address. If your soil was too sandy, draining too quickly and drying out your plants, use organic matter to build up the soil and help your garden and plants retain moisture in the season to come. Alternatively, clay heavy soils do not properly drain, leaving you with rotting seeds and roots in too wet soil or standing water. Cutting organic soil with sand will increase the ability of clay laden soils to drain.

Garden centers and nurseries carry a variety of soil tests that you can perform at home to determine nutritional deficiencies and levels of soil acidity. Use these tests to decide what you need to add before you proceed with amending your soil organically.

Many organics naturally occurring in your yard are ideal for building up your organic garden soil. A simple lawn mowing provides one of the best resources for organic garden soil improvement. Mow your lawn and bag or rake the shredded leaves and grass clippings to work into your soil. Not only will the grass and leaf bits break down to provide essential soil nutrients, but they will work to loosen and aerate the soil as well, increasing root health during the next Spring and Summer growing season. This will aid in soil drainage, too.

Some of the most commonly added and least expensive organic amendments for your organic garden soil are:

• compost
• sand
• manure
• lime
• peat moss
• leaf mold
• sawdust

Compost: Victory Garden author James Crockett calls compost “the caviar of organic materials” for its ability to retain moisture and provide numerous rich nutrients to organic garden soil. Composted matter has a rich, dark, crumbly consistency, somewhat coarse in texture. The nutrients in given compost is dependent upon what went into it. A soil test can be helpful in determining the nutritional composition of your compost if it is of concern to you.

Sand: Mixing sand into heavy soils helps to improve the drainage of the soil, and the loosened soil allows roots to grow. Many gardeners recommend using Contractor’s or Builder’s Sand for its natural coarseness. The grains in a Builder’s Sand are usually larger than something like a beach or play sand, helping to decrease organic soil compaction.

Manure: Composted manure is another organic amendment that is well known for the benefits it brings to your organic garden soil. Composted manure resembles a very rich, dark soil. It is easy to work into the soil, improving organic soil drainage and moisture retention. Composted manure is very high in nitrogen.

Lime: A byproduct of mining processes, lime (or limestone as it may be called) is a white, chalky powder used on organic lawns and gardens to lower soil acidity. Lime contains calcium and magnesium which reduce soil pH. Lime is now widely available in a pelletized form which is not as dusty as powdered lime and is more comfortable to work with.

Peat Moss: Peat Moss is a naturally occurring lightweight moss, grown commercially for gardening use and sold in garden centers. Peat moss acts as a sponge in the soil, dramatically improving an organic soil’s ability to retain moisture.

Leaf Mold: Leaf Mold is a mixture of composted leaves. A cost free organic amendment made from leaves raked from your yard, Leaf Mold slowly releases nitrogen and potassium into the soil. Leaf mold is another high source of these elements.

Sawdust: Sawdust or wood chips are made from chipped or ground trees, trimmings and bark. Ground wood products are helpful to improve the drainage and texture of organic garden soils. Mixing sawdust or ground wood into your organic soil gives it a light, airy texture.

Application Process

To apply amendments to organic garden soils, you will first need to loosen the soil. If the soil is too wet from periods of rain, let the soil dry for a few days as wet, heavy soils are difficult to work. For dry soil or new garden plots that have not been worked before, a thorough watering a few days ahead of time will make your job easier. Using a rototiller for large areas or a fork and spade for existing beds, break up the soil to a depth of approximately six to twelve inches (the lower range is appropriate for existing beds).

With a shovel, spread your composts and organic amendments evenly over the garden patch. Blend the organic nutrients into the soil using a gardening fork or your rototiller (if you don‘t own a rototiller, they are often available for rental through home centers). After you have thoroughly worked the materials into the garden soil, level the area with a rake.

Your organic soil is now properly replenished for the upcoming planting season. Over the course of time, the organic amendments you have added will continue to break down and build a high quality organic soil for a plentiful gardening season ahead, effecting a slow-release of nutrients that is of most use to your garden plants. If you choose, you may repeat the soil and acidity tests in the spring prior to planting, to determine if further adjustment is needed. Over the course of the spring and summer growing season, begin a pile of compost to naturally amend and replenish your organic garden soil in the fall with rich organic matter harvested from your yard and kitchen.

* Order seeds by January or February.
* Vegetables grow best in a level area with loose, well-drained
soil that provides at least six hours of sun. (8–10 hours is ideal).
* Avoid placing the garden in low spots at the base of a hill.
Such areasare slow to warm up in the spring, and frost often
settles in these places.
* Avoid windy locations; if you must plant in a windy spot, build or
grow something near it to block some of the wind.
* Locate your garden near a good and easily accessible water
supply.
* Choose a spot near your home so it’s convenient to work in
the garden when you have a few minutes.
* Avoid planting near trees and shrubs; they compete for nutrients, and
water may cause excessive shading.
* Group plants by length of growing period. Plant spring crops together
so that latter crops can be planted in these areas when the early
crops mature.
* Don’t plant related vegetables in exactly the same location in the garden
more often than once in three years. Rotation prevents the buildup
of insects and disease.

The Patio Vegetable Garden
* You can grow vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and
even herbs in containers from your own porch, patio, or balcony.
* Almost any container can be used as long as it has adequate drainage.
Plastic containers weigh less and are easier to move around than clay
planters.
* Use well-drained potting soil. Pat-based, soilless potting mixtures work
well because they not only provide good drainage, but they also don't
dry out as quickly as soil. A homemade potting mixture can be made by
combining two parts peat moss to one part perlite, vermiculite, or sand.
* You can use wood or bamboo stakes for supporting vining plants such
as cucumbers, peas and squash. Tomatoes can be either staked or
placed in metal cages.
* Plants growing in containers dry out faster than those in the ground
and should be checked daily for water.

Washington, D.C. - infoZine - Looking for some free gardening advice? Has your well-intentioned 'green thumb' resulted in your garden looking a little brown? USDA has a cadre of volunteers who provide free gardening tips and have a wealth of science-based research to answer your questions. Trained by USDA's Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners provide information in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. To find a local Master Gardeners, visit

www.extension.org/pages/Extension_Master_Gardener

"Master Gardeners are a valuable resource for people who want to get some tips on gardening and growing their own food from a real expert," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Growing fruits and vegetables in your own garden not only promotes a healthier lifestyle, but helps communities develop a safe, nutritious and sustainable source of food."

Master Gardeners can help Americans of all abilities to plant, grow and harvest a garden, similar to USDA's 'People's Garden.' Earlier this year, Vilsack launched the 'People's Garden' on USDA property in order to help illustrate the many ways USDA works to provide a sustainable, safe and nutritious food supply as well as protect and preserve the landscape where that food is produced.

The Master Gardener program, which began in 1972 in Washington, is another important example of how people can contribute to promoting healthier food and communities. Since its inception, the program has grown to 94,865 volunteers across the country who give horticulture information to the public through a variety of locally-based programs. Volunteers receive 40 to 80 hours of instruction and, in return, give an equal number of volunteer hours during the next year. As the federal partner in the Cooperative Extension Service, USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) provides funding and national leadership to the program.

"Extension Master Gardener volunteers are more than just members of local garden clubs," said Bill Hoffman, national program leader and Master Gardener contact at CSREES. "They bring to bear the science base of the land-grant university system in service to their communities, through the training and certification they receive as well as the research-based answers they provide."

During 2008, this network of Master Gardeners provided more than 5 million hours of volunteer work in their communities - valued at $101.4 million. Nearly 80 percent of these 5 million hours take place in metropolitan areas. Additionally, in 2008, more than 16,000 new Master Gardeners joined the program for the first time, infusing the program with new life.

Although each community has its own unique projects, all Master Gardeners present workshops, answer gardening hotlines, work with youth, plant demonstration gardens and teach gardening throughout the country:

In Washington, DC: As director of the Washington Youth Garden at USDA's National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., Kaifa Anderson-Hall, who is a Master Gardener herself, spent hours as a child learning about the relationship between food, health and nutrition at the Washington Youth Garden. Never in her wildest imagination did she see herself on staff with the arboretum years later, passing along the same knowledge and skills to today's youth. Today, Anderson-Hall relies on volunteers, many of them Master Gardeners, to help. Anderson-Hall said there are 15 Master Gardener volunteers who each provide two to three hours of service per week.

"The garden wouldn't be where it is today with out our Master Gardeners," Anderson-Hall said. "There is no way our staff of three could accomplish all we do and be productive. It's incredible - the number of hours the volunteers provide."

Anderson-Hall said the volunteers are extremely committed to the garden - the oldest volunteer, who is 72, has continued to volunteer even as she recovers from back surgery. Master Gardener volunteers maintain the garden, including weeding, planting and redesigns. They also provide hands-on interaction with the students. In Washington, D.C., the Master Gardener program is run through the University of the District of Columbia Cooperative Extension Service.

Master Gardener volunteers help support a wide range of programs in the District of Columbia. Family programs teach organic gardening and cooking, including presentations from nutritionists and chefs, so that families can benefit from the food they grow. A Sprout program works to connect youth to their environment. Seed to Supper is a summer camp where students grow their own food and take it home to their families. The Master Gardeners who volunteer with the camp donate any excess food to the DC Central Kitchen, where the chefs provide a cooking demonstration to camp participants. In 2008, the camp donated 250 pounds of produce to the local food kitchen.

In California: Master Gardeners in California are using their knowledge and training to help combat wildfires. Through the University of California system, Master Gardeners provide resources for homeowners who want to 'fire-proof' their homes by using less flammable plants, removing combustible materials and properly spacing trees.

In Maryland: The Grow It, Eat It program by Master Gardeners in Maryland help people improve their health and save money by growing fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs, using sustainable agricultural practices.

--If you want to prune your plants -- and not all supergrowers do -- Benson suggests leaving only two to three flowering stalks per stem. (Pruners contend that fewer tomatoes mean better tomatoes.)

--If you're expecting torrential rains around harvest time, which can cause tomatoes to split on the vine, pick your tomatoes early and allow them to ripen inside.

--Want tomatoes on your patio or balcony? Consider containers. Barbara Peterson grows full-size plants in 20-gallon Smart Pot tubs (smartpots.com), which are made of rigid fabric.