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4 Home, Lawn and Garden, Wednesday, May 9, 2007 Does your soil pass the test? How well do you know your soil? It's an important question for the health of the plants in your garden. Good soil does more than provide a foundation for roots to grab on to. It has good structure, the right pH balance, and provides the right amount of nutrients for the kind of plants you're trying to grow. Soil Structure Poorly structured soil inhibits plant growth in a number of ways. Clay soils will compact easily, drain poorly, prevent air from getting to the roots, and dry into hard clumps. Sandy soil will drain too quickly, erode easily and have difficulty holding nutrients for the plants to use. Good soil strikes a balance between these two extremes. Both clay and sandy soil will benefit from liberal applications of compost and organic matter. Mark Cullen, one of Canada's leading gardening experts, recommends improving your garden soil by mixing in C-I-L Triple Mix Plus. "The mixture of manure, peat, loam, and added fertilizer does wonders for my garden soil." Soil pH Levels Acidity or alkalinity in the soil is measured by pH values, on a scale of 1 (most acid) to 14 (most alkaline) with a level of 7 considered "neutral". The pH level influences the availability of nutrients for you plants, as well as the type of plants you can grow. Most plants will grow well in a pH range of 6.5 to 7.2. Soil that is too acidic can be neutralized by adding Dolomitic lime. Alkaline soils can be neutralized by adding peat moss or small amounts of aluminium sulphate, available at most garden centres. Country charm Discover the North Hatley door for classic carriage house charm. Call your Garaga Experts garage door consultant. Think North Hatley Think Mark Brousseau 118 Guelph Street, Unit 6 Georgetown www.bmgaragedoor.com (905) 873-4848 / 1 888 836-5552 85 Soil Nutrients All plants need a good balance of the major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), as well as minor nutrients such as sulphur, iron, calcium, and many others in minute quantities. You can test your soil for the presence of these nutrients and add those that are needed in the form of fertilizer. The easiest way to test both the pH and the fertility of your soil is to use the C-I-L Soil Test Kit. This inexpensive kit tests both soil fertility and pH to determine the current growing condition of your soil and recommends corrective treatments. You can enter your test data on the C-I-L website to create instant, easy to understand treatment recommendations. For more information, visit www.soiltest.ca. -- News Canada Want New WOOD FLOORING? HARDWOOD SPECIALS! HAND SCRAPED ENGINEERED We've got you covered! · Large Selection · Certified Installation · Best Warranties Anywhere TRAFALGAR RD DIRECT EXPRESSIONS with 50 year warranty $ 6 colours SQ. FT . available INST ALLA TION AVAILABLE 6 95 PAY NOTHING TILL 2008 Starts May 23rd, ST. MILL MAIN ST. (olde Georgetown) CALL US FOR YOUR "FREE" IN-HOME ESTIMATE 9TH LINE MOUNTAINVIEW RD. 8TH LINE 5TH SIDEROAD (Downtown Georgetown) Locally owned & operated by neighbours you've known & trusted for over 35 years! 10TH LINE CARPET BARN carpetone.com · 1-800-CARPET-1 26 Guelph St, Georgetown · 905 877-9896 CARPET BARN CARPET ONE GU ELP HS T. ( Hw y. 7 ) MAPLE AVE. N GEORGETOWN SOUTH 10TH SIDEROAD ARGYLL ROAD