When you spend any amount of time and effort adding plants and other vegetation to your backyard, you understand how the quality of the soil can affect your results. A poor soil that is void of nutrients and scorched from the sun and eroded by the wind is not going to allow your plants to grow, and in some cases, can cause them to die off before they can take root. For this reason, having good quality soil in your yard is one of the basic keys to getting an attractive and healthy landscaped yard. The following provides you with some suggestions you can use to improve the health of your soil and your landscaping as a result.
Order Local Topsoil
A quick and efficient way to improve the condition of your yard's soil is to add in rich topsoil from a local landscape company. You can order a mixture of healthy topsoil made of sand, clay, and rich compost, to provide essential nutrients from organic matter of decomposing materials. Contact a local landscape supply company or your own landscaper for recommendations and how to order a load or two of topsoil, depending on how much you need. It is always good to make sure the topsoil has been screened for weeds and weed seeds so you don't bring in a new weed problem with your new topsoil.
When your topsoil mix is delivered, you can arrange for a landscaper to spread it around onto your soil evenly. They can also till it into the soil to combine it with the existing soil and add in a deeper layer of nutrients to your yard's soil. Then, your yard will be ready for planting new vegetation, trees, lawn, or shrubbery, to improve the space and control erosion.
Compost Within Your Yard
When you have the space and materials to make your own compost, you can do so right in your yard. You just need a mixture of green and brown composting materials, such as lawn clippings, dry leaves, vegetable peelings from your kitchen, shredded newspaper, straw, wood chips, and ground-up eggshells. Add this onto a compost pile in your yard and build it up to several feet in depth, adding water when you need to moisten the pile for it to remain damp. The heat of the sun will work to break down the materials in the pile, and when you mix and turn it regularly, such as with a pitchfork or shovel, you will add more oxygen to the pile of compost. This will speed up the process by which the microorganisms work to break down the materials into dark, rich compost.