One of the biggest factors affecting the health of plants in your garden is the pH of the soil, which is a measure of its acidity or alkalinity. A pH of 7.0 is neutral while that above 7.0 is alkaline ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. If you have leggy or struggling plants, it's often a sign that you should test the soil's pH level. You can invest in professional testing; ...

Good soil is the starting point for a garden that grows well. It feeds your plants, holds water, and helps roots grow strong. If the soil is off, even the best seeds can struggle. Many gardeners focus ...

The color of hydrangea flowers can change from pink to purple and blue by tweaking the soil. How do other plants react to those changes? Sydney Kozak explored just that. Her project, “Does changing ...

Soil is a key ingredient in any backyard garden, so it’s important to make sure it’s the healthiest it can be. That’s why longtime gardeners – and soil science experts – recommend testing. Knowing the ...

Before applying fertilizer or any other soil amendment, it's a good idea to see what the soil already contains. That way you ...

To have our best gardens, we need to know our soil. A soil test is the single best piece of information you can obtain for your garden. Here’s my soil test as an example, and what kind of ...

Wood ashes can be a valuable resource for amending garden soil. Anyone using a fireplace or wood stove knows that a large amount of wood ashes can accumulate over a heating season. When applied under ...