The best way to improve sandy, clay or desert soils is the addition of organic matter.
Ready to build up the soil in your desert garden? Look around! There are good sources of organic material all over.
What you want is un-decomposed organic material that can be broken down by organisms in the soil. If your soil is sterile or near sterile, don’t worry. Many organic materials that you add carry their own micro-organisms. Other organisms will be drawn to the richer soil.
Good organic matter includes manure (cattle, sheep, horse and chicken manure make good soil additives). Don’t use manure from animals that can carry organisms that might be harmful to humans, such as pigs and pets.
Leaf mold, sawdust and straw are also good organic materials to use in building up your soil.
In order to help the organisms decompose the materials, you will need to keep the soil moist. You will also need to add nitrogen, to aid the decomposition. (Soil microbes require nitrogen for their metabolisms to work.) If you also add green material (grass clippings and the like) you may not need to add nitrogen, because it’s already present.
You can also add compost to the soil. You can either make compost by building a compost pile, or you can buy it from your local garden supply store.
See also:
