Preparing the Soil for Flower Beds
A good soil is one where roots can grow quickly, finding the best physical conditions, provided by the right porosity and aeration, chemical conditions, given by the correct pH and fertility, and biological conditions, thanks to the presence of beneficial microorganisms. These conditions are essential for developing a strong and well-branched root system that allows plants to anchor themselves firmly in the soil and provide nutrition to the foliage and flowers.
To achieve this, it is crucial that the soil in a flowerbed is well-worked, leveled, and/or slightly mounded, fertile, and preferably sub-acid (pH 6-7).
How to proceed?
When the soil is “mellow,” meaning neither too wet nor too dry, perform digging or tillage to a depth of at least 15-20 cm, breaking up the clumps well.
Plough in fertilizer, preferably organic, such as mature and stable manure or dried pelleted manure. which simultaneously provides nutrients and enhances the soil’s vitality.
It is very effective and practical to achieve a good soft and porous structure, by applying and integrating a good peaty medium into the soil before or after tillage.
Plan to distribute a layer of soil on the beds of at least 10-12 cm for the first time if we need to regenerate poor soil, or 5-6 cm on already cultivated lands and in the subsequent years after the first cultivation.
Once the soil is well-chopped and enriched with organic material or peaty soil, level it with a rake before planting.
If the soil is clayey, heavy, and very muddy when it rains, it is advisable to lighten it by incorporating coarser peat soil or a medium containing wood fibers. Both add organic matter and porosity, preventing dangerous waterlogging. The right amount to use is greater the more one aims to improve it, but certainly no less than 8-10 cm. height.
If, on the other hand, the soil is light and draining, such as sandy soil, it is advisable to add greater quantities of organic matter (pelleted manure, dark/black peat) to better retain water and bring nutrients and life to the surface layers near the roots.
The fertility of a soil is given by the quantity (and quality) of nutrients present in the soil and necessary for the plants to grow thriving thriving growth, especially annual flowering plants. There is a natural fertility that can be improved or simply restored, through the supply of natural or chemical fertilizers designed to best and tailor-made satisfy the nutritional needs of the plants. This is especially true if the flowerbed was cultivated the previous year, with the removal of nutrients and soil depletion at the end of the season.
It is therefore advisable to plough the fertilizer at the time of the tillage, which can be organic (pelleted manure) or mineral. Slow-release fertilizers are also available that release the nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) slowly throughout the season (5-6 months). They are the most effective and convenient because with a single intervention they guarantee the nutritional supply in the most correct way; the release of elements is in fact proportional to the temperature and follows the growth trend of the plants in the spring-summer period, which also depends on temperature.
We can also use mature vegetable compost, but in quantities not exceeding 50%. The presence of compost allows to limit costs but has fewer benefits in terms of enrichment of the chemical and physical properties of the soil to be improved.