Eight Signs Your Garden Soil Is Unhealthy
The plants in your garden are only as healthy as the soil they're planted in. When the dirt is thriving and full of healthy microbes, plants will thrive and stay resilient throughout the spring and summer. However, it's important to be aware of several key indicators that the soil is not healthy, so you know what to look out for.
You can tell soil is unhealthy if water rolls off the surface or quickly drains through without nourishing the roots. Yellow leaves are also a sign of poor soil health, and it often indicates plants are deficient in nitrogen, potassium, or phosphorus. Excessive pests are also a sign of unhealthy soil, as they typically prey upon weak plants.
Every gardener should keep soil pH test kits on hand to monitor the quality of the soil. It’s also worth treating soil with worm castings, which help address many common problems.
Eight Signs That Soil Is Bad
1. Yellow Leaves
It’s easy to assume you messed up when the leaves on your plants are turning yellow. That is sometimes the case, but widespread discoloration is a sign of unhealthy soil. Yellow leaves often indicate the soil lacks key nutrients that plants need to thrive and survive. The soil may lack the right levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to keep plants healthy. Secondary nutrients, such as magnesium and calcium, are also essential for most plants.
If the soil lacks these nutrients, you can reintroduce them using organic fertilizers and compost. Synthetic fertilizers are bad and often make plants dependent on them, so you should avoid them. An organic fertilizer slowly reintroduces nutrients to help your plants bounce back from deficiencies. It won’t take long for the quality of the soil to improve, and your plants will look better.
2. Pooling Water
Water is essential plants, but not when it pools into uneven puddles on the soil. This indicates the soil is compacted, poorly graded, or full of clay. Each of these issues is not good for soil, but pooling water can deprive your plants’ roots of water and oxygen. Puddles can also wash key nutrients out of the soil, which will negatively affect your plants. This doesn’t mean that every part of your yard or garden is in trouble.
Pay attention to which areas feature excesss water and look for patterns. You may have inadvertently compacted the soil in one area by using heavy machinery. In that case, you can fix the problem by loosening the soil through core aeration. You may want to call a professional landscaper if you notice compacted soil throughout your yard and garden.
3. No Earthworms
Earthworms are great for your soil, but you won't find any in unhealthy soil. That’s especially true if you use harmful garden products, such as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides. Earthworms are sensitive to harmful chemicals and unhealthy soil, so they avoid them. If your area is full of earthworms, but there are none in your garden, it likely means the soil is unhealthy because it lacks essential microbes, which help support plant growth and improve soil structure.
Microbes go hand-in-hand with earthworms, and you can attract them both by adding more organic matter to your soil. This includes compost, grass clippings, mulch, manure, and crushed eggshells. Don’t bother buying earthworms to put in your soil until you make it habitable for them. Once you add organic matter and stop using chemicals, you will slowly find more earthworms.
4. Soil pH Changes
Soil acidity is more important than some people realize, and it’s directly tied to soil health. Overly acidic soil is just as bad as overly basic soil for many common plants. Unless you have unusual, exotic plants, you probably need to maintain a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Excessive soil acidity can contribute to nutrient deficiencies, poor microbial health, and heavy metal toxicity. Overly alkaline soil turns leaves yellow, contributes to stunted growth, and causes soil compaction.
This depends on the type of plants you have, as certain plants thrive better in acidic soil rather than basic soil. That’s why it’s important to research what type of soil your plants need. It’s also a great idea to buy a rapid soil pH test kit, which are available at most plant nurseries and garden centers.
5. Hydrophobic Soil
Hydrophobic soil sounds serious, and can be if you’re plant is desperately craving water, as hydrophobic soil repels it. When the microbial life in your soil dies, it leaves behind a residue that essentially binds soil particles together. Once this happens, the soil beads and causes water to roll off like it’s Teflon. This is the worst-case scenario, as it deprives your plants’ roots of the water they need.
Sometimes, soil becomes hydrophobic due to decaying organic matter, such as peat moss. This is also common for overly sandy soil, which doesn’t absorb water as well. You can fix hydrophobic soil through aeration, wetting agents, and tilling in compost.
6. High Percolation Rate
When researching plants, you’ve probably noticed that soil drainage is a big part of a plant’s success rate. This is known as the percolation rate, which refers to how quickly water passes through soil. A high percolation rate is bad for your plants, as it doesn't allow the roots to absorb enough water. This can also cause nutrients and fertilizers to wash away and leach into nearby water bodies.
An overly slow percolation rate can deprive roots of oxygen and leave them waterlogged. It can also cause anaerobic bacteria to accumulate to the point of harming your plants. You can fix fast soil drainage by adding soil amendments, such as peat moss and vermiculite. It also helps to apply mulch, which prevents excessive moisture loss.
7. Crusty Surface
Most people expect soil to look vibrant, crumbly, and dark, but that’s not always the case. If a hard, cracked crust forms on the soil’s surface, you may panic. The good news is that this sometimes happens due to healthy microbial activity. However, a crusty surface can also appear if the soil lacks organic matter, such as compost and peat moss. Bare soil is more likely to become crusty, as it’s not teeming with life, especially after a heavy rain.
You will also notice a crusty surface on soil if you rely too heavily on synthetic fertilizers, which contain a high volume of salt and other minerals, and your soil can’t absorb it all. This will leave a salty crust on the soil, which is visually unappealing. Stop treating soil with synthetic fertilizers, and the problem should eventually go away.
8. Pests
As if unhealthy soil weren’t bad enough, it can also attract many common garden pests to your yard. Plants in unhealthy soil struggle so much that they release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which pests can detect. Once this happens, aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites, will slowly make their way toward your stressed plants.
Since your plants are unhealthy, they can’t protect themselves as easily against pests. You can treat your plants with household items like white vinegar and peppermint oil, but that won’t fix the root of the problem. While treating your plants for bugs, also address the soil problem.
Summing It Up
Signs of unhealthy soil include yellow leaves, pooling water, and a lack of soil microbes or earthworms. You can also tell something is wrong if the soil pH fluctuates from one extreme to another. It’s important to stick to organic fertilizers and avoid using chemical pesticides, or else you may harm the soil beyond repair.
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Nick Durante is a professional writer with a primary focus on home improvement. When he is not writing about home improvement or taking on projects around the house, he likes to read and create art. He is always looking towards the newest trends in home improvement.
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