The Importance of Soil Chemistry to the Perennial Garden

Soil chemistry is one of the most critical considerations for any gardener, especially when gardening with perennials. Why? Mainly because, whereas annuals provide a fresh start year after year, gardening with perennials requires the plant stay in the ground and the chemistry of the soil can greatly affect all types of perennials.

It's difficult to overestimate how important proper soil chemistry is, since the soil provides the nutrients plants need to grow and thrive.

Perennials, for the most part, are quite hardy, but it's critical that you prepare the flower bed properly. A properly prepared bed is the first step in growing a healthy garden full of perennials. As with all plants, you must provide all varieties of perennials plenty of healthy soil, enough water and the right amount of sunlight.

One common problem with perennials is that of an uneven growth pattern. There are many types of perennials and they all have different growth rates. It's quite normal for different types of perennials to grow faster or more slowly, but if identical varieties of perennials show very different growth patterns within different parts of the garden, soil chemistry may be the problem. Many gardeners assume that the same garden plot will have the same chemistry throughout, but this is not always the case. Soil chemistry can vary even on the same properly, sometimes even within the same garden plot.

If you suspect that soil chemistry may be to blame for uneven growth patterns within your garden, have a thorough soil analysis done to either confirm your suspicions or rule it out. A good testing lab will quickly point out problems such as an uneven pH level, insufficient organic materials in the soil or insufficient nutrients. The analysis will also give you a good baseline to go from as you improve the soil with various additives.

The pH level of the soil is a critical consideration for a perennial garden. Most varieties of perennials will grow quite well in soils with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0, but some perennials have different requirements. If you don't know which plants will grow best in your soil, be sure to check with your nursery or garden center.

If the pH level is excessively alkaline or excessively acidic, it can be brought back into balance by adding humus. You can easily make your own humus by using a compost bin to break down organic material, or humus can be purchased directly from a garden center or nursery. If you don't seen any improvement with humus, limestone can be added to make the soil more alkaline, while adding sulfur will help make it more acidic.

Once you know the baseline soil chemistry, it's easier to monitor the quality of the soil going forward. A bed of perennials should be checked for soil chemistry quality anytime a significant change in the quality or number of blooms is noticed. Keeping on top of the quality of your soil, and making changes as needed, is the best way to keep your perennials blooming season after season.