CORVALLIS – Adding organic matter is the best way to improve nearly all kinds of soils. If you’re unsure if your soil needs amendments, take note if it dries and cracks in summer, drains slowly or is ...

A gardener plants a small plant in a bed of gardening soil - Alex Ratson/Getty Images If you're looking to a take a more natural approach to gardening, choosing an organic gardening soil is a great ...

What is the single most basic thing you could do to be a successful gardener? There is nothing you could do in your garden that would be more helpful than applying organic matter in and on your soil.

I would like to improve the heavy clay soil in my vegetable garden. A friend suggested that I rototill several inches of sand to improve the drainage. Is that a good way to improve clay soil?

Composting is an essential skill to learn for any serious gardener. Known affectionately as black gold, compost is a rich, nutritious soil improver and costs little to make besides time. As well as ...

If asked to define organic farming, people’s responses would probably include the prohibition of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, but could also touch on native pollinators, micronutrients, ...

Every gardener wants the best soil for their garden. How do you know if your soil is "good"? What do you add to make it good? When you go to a plant nursery or the gardening section of a big box store ...

What’s the best soil to use? Whether you’re gardening with containers, in raised beds or digging holes in the ground, you can’t go wrong with organic potting soil. With its loamy texture, ...

Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed. –Francis Bacon (1561-1626) You can often hear people say, “Back before agricultural chemicals were introduced, all food was organic.” That’s true. And here’s ...

David Kuchta, Ph.D. has 10 years of experience in gardening and has read widely in environmental history and the energy transition. An environmental activist since the 1970s, he is also a historian, ...

Several issues come up in dealing with soil when gardening. Gardeners learn quickly that bed preparation techniques and soil characteristics play a critical role in plant growth. When working with ...

Learning about the soil in your beds is important to successful gardening. Soil is the primary source of water and mineral nutrients for plants and must also provide sufficient oxygen to the root ...