"Dig In" to the mystery of our Treasure Valley Soil

What is the mystery of soil in the Treasure Valley? Actually, it isn't mysterious at all if you're willing to "dig in". With a little bit of investigation, you can learn how simple soil really is, even in the Treasure Valley.

All soil consists of sand, silt and clay. "Soil texture" is the ratio of sand, silt, and clay in your soil. Soil texture can determine things like drainage, water retention and the amount of nutrients the soil can store.

"Sandy loam" contains more sand. "Clay loam" has a higher content of clay. "Silty loam" contains more silt than sand or clay. You're probably getting the idea. "Nice loam", has an even combination of sand, silt and clay and it's excellent garden soil. To understand your soil better, your can test your soil texture using your hands in the easy exercise below. You will need your hands, a shovel (to dig some soil), and some water.

1. Dig 6-12 inches into the soil. Moisten the soil with water if it’s dry.
   
2. Take a cup of soil from at least 6 inches below the surface.
3. Complete tests A and B below.
4. Test in several areas and different soil depths.

Test A

Rub some very moist soil between your fingers. Sand feels gritty like sand or sugar, silt feels smooth or silky like flour or dry cornstarch, and clay feels sticky like dough.

Test B

Squeeze soil into a ball, then pinch between your thumb and pointer finger. You are trying to get the soil to form a "ribbon" (see photo to the left). Sandier soil has a harder time forming a ribbon, while more silt and clay increase the ability of the soil to form a ribbon. Heavy clay soil will hold the ribbon shape up to a few inches.

An agricultural soil report from a laboratory will dive deeper and tell you your soil pH, organic matter percentage, mineral content, nitrate level, and soil texture. These all help in plant selection, watering needs, and overall health of plants.

Social Media Gardening Myths: The Top Five

How many of you have checked out social media internet sites? There are some great ideas...and some not so great ideas! Let's tackle just a few and remind readers of the importance of getting your information from a known, reputable source. Your local Land Grant University provides you with research-based solutions for your life. The University of Idaho Extension is your go to source for answers about gardening in Idaho. Below is a list of things to avoid:

1. Epsom salts for a bumper tomato crop.

While this may sound like a good idea, the simple fact of the matter is any time you begin any gardening project you should start with a soil test it is also a good idea to have your soil tested every few years just so that you know what is going on and what, if any, amendments may be needed. The University of Idaho Extension can provide you with a soil test. As a rule, Epsom Salts, Magnesium Sulfate, are not needed in Idaho soils because our soils generally have adequate amounts of Magnesium and due to our soil’s pH, is readily available to be taken up by our plants. 

2. Adding sugar or baking soda to your garden’s soil makes your strawberries sweeter. The  sweetness of your fruit or veggies is not determined by the amount of sugar in the soil. Plants do not acquire sweetness from the soil. If you want sweeter fruits, add sugar to them in the kitchen. 

3. Uses for eggshells in the garden. They are purported to keep slugs and snails away, add calcium to your soil, keep rabbits from eating your plants and more. Again, the best place to start is with a soil test. Usually, most Idaho soils have adequate levels of calcium. To keep slugs, and snails away, you may want to consider using diatomaceous earth. I’ve tried the eggshell to keep rabbits away with little to no luck. They will eat what they want, and eggshells are not going to stop them. If you choose to use eggs in your garden, the best thing to do is crush them up and place them in your compost bin. 4. Pennies or copper which repels slugs and snails. If I had a penny for every time I saw this…😀  Taking a moment to think about this, yeah, it does work to a limited degree. But if it does effectively repel slugs and snails, all you are going to do is repel the slugs and snails from your collection of pennies and onto your collection of peonies. Try using copper sulfate as an alternative or beer as an alternative. I hear slugs like Miller... 5. Adding sand to help loosen up clay soils. This one is perhaps my all-time favorite. Have you ever made cement? If you want healthier soil, add organic matter. In clayey soils, organic matter aids in soil drainage, improves the nutrient holding capacity and helps break up compaction. In sandy soil, it helps in water retention, improves nutrient holding capacity, and provides structure. So, while you may be prone to seeing these wonderful articles that tell you how easily you can have amazing gardens on the internet, the reality is that any garden worth having is going to require work. If you want to find out what shortcuts you can take and do work in your area, the best place to start would be from a trusted, reliable source. Your 2C Master Gardeners Facebook page is a daily source for reliable and accurate information, Instagram, and Twitter(X) too!

How to get Sprouting...

You probably have seen bean and alfalfa sprouts in the grocery store and thought how can I grow my own and is it hard?  The answer to these questions is yes you can grow sprouts and no it is not hard. Doesn't this sandwich look better with sprouts?

The steps to growing sprouts are as follows:

Step 1: Begin with choosing the right equipment.  A simple option is to have 32 oz. mason jars with screen meshed or plastic sprouting lids.  You can get the jars at your local grocery store, and online from Amazon.  You can get the lids from Amazon. 

Step 2: Choose your seeds.  Please note you will have to disinfect your seeds  depending on the source, or you can purchase seeds that were tested negative for E. coli 0157 and Salmonella such as from Johnny Seeds.  

Step 3:  Follow the instructions.  On the back of the Johnny Seed package are the instructions on how to start.  In about 3 days you’ll have sprouts. There are several sources for how to produce sprouts. Here's a guide from the University of Nebraska Extension.  Further, you can purchase books on line.  One source which has proven instructive is Sprout Garden by Mark Mathew Braunstein.

 Depending on the type of seed, you may need to expose them to light after fully sprouted.  An important note for rinsing, sprouting and greening is to pay attention to the temperatures of the water and the room environment.  The links above and book mentioned provide information on what is considered appropriate.  Now, happy sprouting!

Winter: The best time to ponder the bones of your yard & garden

Are you thinking of creating or converting to a backyard forest garden?
Here's a bridge over a dry river rock bed that flows through a wildlife area - even in a small yard!  With the leaves on deciduous plants gone, you can see where you need structure, where you could plant evergreens, and where you need to prune. Here are 10 suggestions. 

You also now have the time out from planting and harvesting when you can think about building structures, such as walkways, decks, raised beds, trellis/gazebos, or seating areas. Oh so much fun!!!

Dr. Douglas W. Tallamy has written a seminal book, Bringing Nature Home, on how to plan for the best ecosystem in your own yard. He has followed it with a second book, Nature's Best Hope, outlining how we can help grassroots conservation with native plants! While he is from the NE USA, his ideas are applicable here. This is the time..."one yard at a time!"  Note the brush pile in the back corner - the quail and others love it for shelter from predators and weather!

Our winter sunshine is a plus in this, as you can get outside even in January and February to mess with lumber, edging or stepping stones (unless the snow hits). 

Go out and stare at your gardening space and draw a map of what is already there. Consider what you’d like to keep and what isn’t working. Refer to your garden journal for successes and failures.

Envision what you’d like to see there and draw it in on your map.

Dream on about your 2024 yard and garden!