Add compost and manure
There's not much organic matter in my mountain soil. Every bit of organic matter is precious, and it's the focus of my soil amending. I compost all vegetable kitchen waste and leafy leftovers from the garden (except for diseased plants). I add well-rotted horse manure from a local stable to help the composting process. When I moved into my house ten years ago, there wasn't a shrub, tree, or cultivated plant on our one-acre site. Now it's an oasis for local birds and wildlife. In my previously wormless soil, there are now worms a-plenty! -Cynthia Davis, Flagstaff, AZ
Organic matter and nutrients
I add lots of organic matter (including compost and horse manure) and nutrient sources, including greensand for potassium, and rock phosphate for phosphorus. -Flo Jasiak, Tucson, AZ
Neutralize alkaline soil
In Southern California's High Desert, the soil is very alkaline. To amend it, I use pine needles as mulch and compost made from tree leaves and deadheaded flowers. Neighbors who drive past my house stop and comment on the spot of sunny meadow in the desert. -Paul Shiras, Apple Valley, CA
Soil test
I moved into a new home with a yard that had rocky clay soil. I raked out rocks and added compost. The most important step was testing the soil so I could add exactly what the soil needed. -Karen Williams, Meniffee, CA
Amending clay
We have clay soil and 16 flower beds. To amend the soil, we purchased an old concrete mixer at an auction. We blend top soil, humus, peat moss, perlite, sawdust, and wood shavings in it, then add the blend in the gardens. The concrete mixer saves us from mixing the blend by hand. -Dale and Karen Bevel, Hoffman, IL
Add manure
It can take years to improve the soil by adding compost. To speed things up, I buy 40-pound bags of cow manure and add them to the soil around each plant. -Linda Carson, Harrison Township, MI
Amending sand
My soil is rocky and somewhat sandy. Every autumn I top the soil with straw from my chicken coop and aged manure from my llama. In spring when the soil is dry and warm, I mix the straw and manure into the soil. I till the soil as little as possible because many experts believe it's not good for the soil. -Doris Dinsmore, Helena, MT
Cover crop
My grandfather planted winter rye to enrich his soil. In the spring he put cow manure on top of the rye and spaded both of them into the soil. My father did the same, and so do I. -Anne Francisco, Keene, NH
Add chicken manure
I live on the beach, so I amend the sandy soil with compost and manure everywhere I plant. I used to spread dehydrated cow manure on the garden, but it nearly blew away before I got it mixed into the ground. Then I tried composted cow manure, but the wet bags weighed too much for me to work with easily. Now I use pelleted chicken manure. It's easy to broadcast around established perennials or toss in the hole when preparing to plant. -Chris Petersen, Northport, NY
Help from friends
I'm lucky to have friends. One has horses and I trade a couple bushels of apples for a pick-up load of manure. Another friend, the owner of a coffee shop, supplies coffee grounds. I get a pick-up load of topsoil from a farming friend. I gather leaves and twigs from friends in the autumn and run them through my chipper/shredder. I add a dozen wheelbarrows of compost. This all gets mixed up and sits until spring. One mix usually lasts a full season. -Wes Minter, Addy, WA