All About That Base

Or rather, your soil. Whether you’re amending an in-ground area or improving a growing medium for your containers and raised beds, there is no substitute for good soil. And not just good soil, the best soil.

Working on your soil may be a little less thrilling than aisles of fresh green plants and racks of brightly colored seed packets, but if you don’t get down and dirty first you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Compost is the best and most earth-friendly way to build a nutrient profile and soil structure that will yield the most bang for your buck. A great recommendation is to use a Compost Sak for early spring leaf clean up, but first, you’ll want to harvest the black, crumbly, and rich compost that has already been cooking in it. (See why some gardeners call it nature’s black gold?)

Compost is what containers and beds need to set the stage for great results. You can spread this home-made, primo plant food around your perennial fruits and veggies, top dress your Smart Pots and Big Bag Beds, and then you’re ready to start the process over again. This season’s dark and damp spring leaves go back into the Compost Sak to start the cycle again.

Gardeners dream, envision, and invest so much into turning those visions into reality. But no matter how diligently you prepare and tend, if you’ve hurried through that first, critical step—soil preparation—you’ll always be playing catch up.