Ground disturbance refers to the process of changing the top layer of soil in your garden. It is often used in conjunction with composting; when composting, you disturb the top layer of soil in order to expose it and create a place for beneficial microorganisms to thrive. When gardening in containers, this process of changing the soil in your pots is often referred to as “grinding up” your soil to create a new layer. There are various reasons why you may choose to grind up your soil instead of adding more organic matter to it directly. Here are some common examples of when you might choose this method over adding more compost or other organic matter:
Why is grinding your soil better than adding more compost?
Ground disturbance is a great way to expose your soil to more air and increase its water retention properties, while adding beneficial organisms to the mix. Adding compost while maintaining a high organic matter content is difficult to achieve in a large pot, especially if it’s made of clay. Grinding up the soil, however, makes it much easier to achieve high organic matter content. It also allows for more frequent soil changes, which can be beneficial to indoor plants like orchids and cacti.
How to grind your soil
If you want to grind up your soil and create a new layer, you must first remove the upper layer of soil. You can do this with a spade, shovel, or fork, or by mixing dry soil with water and using a mixing stick. Once you’ve removed the top layer, it’s important to mix in a bit of compost or other organic matter, as this will help create the new soil layer.If you’re working with cacti or other succulents, avoid mixing the soil with compost. These plants need to be watered very infrequently and have little root mass, meaning they cannot absorb nutrients from composted soil. Instead, mix in sand or perlite to help aerate the soil and prevent compaction.
Why is grinding your soil better than adding a lot of compost?
Ground disturbance is often used when gardening in containers, as it’s a quick way to amend the soil without having to mix a large amount of compost. This method is especially useful for indoor gardens or for gardening in containers that are too small to add large amounts of compost. If you’re adding compost to large pots, it can take weeks to see a difference. For this reason, it’s important to ensure that your containers are large enough to allow for microbial activity.If you’re gardening in pots, it’s important to be aware that composts, manures and other organic matter sources are notorious for attracting pests. You should always add compost slowly and in layers to avoid attracting unwanted guests to your plants.
When should you use ground disturbance?
When gardening in containers, you should always aim to maintain a high organic matter content. This can be achieved by adding compost and letting it break down into organic matter, or by adding animal manure or aged manure tea. If you’re using a lot of compost, you may want to consider grinding up your soil once or twice a season. This will help aerate the soil and create an environment that’s perfect for microbial activity.If you’re gardening in the ground, you can still use ground disturbance to amend the soil. It’s a great way to improve the soil’s water retention properties and create more room for roots.
How do you know when to stop grinding?
When gardening in containers, you can add compost up to a point. Once the soil reaches an appropriate water content, it’s important to stop adding compost. If you continue adding compost, you risk overwatering and creating anaerobic conditions in your container.When gardening in the ground, you can grind up the soil once or twice a season. After this time, the soil should be ready to be used as a planting medium.
Wrapping Up
Ground disturbance is a great way to amend your soil and create a nutrient-rich and well-aerated soil. It’s also a great way to maintain a high organic matter content without having to add large amounts of compost.When gardening in containers, it’s important to maintain a high organic matter content to ensure your plants have the nutrients they need to thrive. This is often achieved by adding compost or other organic matter to the soil. When gardening in the ground, it’s equally important to maintain a high organic matter content, as this will improve the soil’s water retention properties.