Gardening Articles: Landscaping :: Yard & Garden Planning
Building Great Soil (page 5 of 5) by Warren Schultz Home Soil
Audit Bill Wolf, president of the board of directors of the
Organic Materials Review Institute, suggests gardeners audit
their soil like this: In spring, while soil is moist and warm
(at least 55°F), find an area of the garden where the ground is
covered by mulch or green manure, and dig up a chunk 1 foot
square by 6 inches deep. Place the soil on a piece of wood or
cardboard, and count the earthworms in the mass of soil. If you
find 10 or more earthworms, your soil has good fertility. Warren
Schultz lives in Essex, Vermont and has been a frequent
contributor to National Gardening. Photography by Bill Lorenz
and National Gardening Association.