DETROIT – This weekend will be perfect for people looking to get their gardens going, but before you plant your first plant, there are ways to supercharge your soil for beautiful yields.
Soil is alive and the foundation of the planet, so when it comes to growing flowers and vegetables it’s how you treat your soil that makes the biggest difference.
Akello Karamoko is a garden expert for Keeping Growing Detroit, a nonprofit that helps Detroit residents grow their food.
Their gardens near Eastern Market are incredible, with healthy vibrant plants and the secret is soil amendments.
Soil amendments can be purchased at big box stores and garden centers, but there’s also an easy recipe to make your own. The recipe is available below.
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Soil amendment recipe
The recipe is 1 cup of each amendment per 20-pound bag of soil and 20-gallons of compost.
- 1 cup of blood meal
- 1 cup of rock phosphate
- 1 cup of potash of potassium
- 1 cup of azomite
- Optional: Add some earthworms or worm castings
Even if you can’t add every single amendment, just adding some will help heal your soil and supercharge it for abundant plants, flowers, and vegetables.