In some locations, it seems the soil is of such poor quality that most
plants look permanently sickly, and those that do thrive get nibbled
away by deer and rabbits. If that is a dilemma that you have to deal
with, today's column should offer you some hope.

A recent column about plants that do well in poor soil brought quite a
lot of mail from readers. If you missed that column, send me a message
at and I'll send you a link to the archived
version at my Web site. Some of the comments were from readers who
would rather improve poor soil than cater to it.

What can you do if you have sorry soil that needs to be brought up to
snuff? First of all, it makes sense to find out if your soil really is
of poor quality. The best way to find an answer is with a soil test.
You can purchase your own soil test kit, but if you prefer to leave it
to the experts, you can contact the nearest Ag Extension Service,
usually associated with a university. If you're not sure where your
nearest Extension service is located, you can find a state-by-state
list at this Web site http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/netlinks/ces.html

So, exactly what IS a soil test? It's a process by which elements,
including phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur,
manganese, copper and zinc, are chemically removed from the soil and
measured for their "plant available" content within the sample. The
quantity of available nutrients in the sample determines the amount of
fertilizer that is recommended. A soil test also measures pH, humic
matter and exchangeable acidity. These analyses indicate whether lime
is needed and, if so, how much to apply, according to a description
from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture's Web site.

Why test your soil? Here's a good answer from the Extension Web site
of Rutgers University: "To apply optimum levels of nutrients or lime
to your soil, it is necessary to know the existing pH and the
availability of essential plant nutrients in the soil. Remember:
Excess nutrients or limestone can be as detrimental to plant growth as
deficiencies of these nutrients."

Adding too much lime can cause the soil pH to rise above the needed
level, which in turn prevents much-needed nutrients such as copper,
iron, manganese and zinc from reaching the plants' root systems.

Once you have the results of your test, you can take it to your local
garden center and ask to see their products that will adjust the
soil's quality as needed.

Once your soil is back on track, keeping it healthy is as important to
your landscape as a good diet and nutritional supplements are to your
own health.

There are several products that I use on my own landscape in order to
maintain optimum quality soil. As you know, I opt for organic
solutions to garden problems wherever possible, and those are the ones
I generally recommend.

A soil conditioner named Prosper was originally intended for farmers
who had problems with standing water caused by compacted soil. Then
owners of newly-constructed homes began to find it useful where heavy
equipment had packed down the soil, making it almost unmanageable.
Prosper increases the downward movement of water to, and through, the
root zone, making it and oxygen more available to plants. It can also
increase drainage and reduce erosion.

Another useful organic product is called Global EarthTek, and is one
of those products that seems to do a whole bunch of things at once.
It's an effective fungicide, it increases the soil's water-holding
capacity (so you spend less time out there with the hose) and it helps
to fight disease and virus by fortifying plants' immune system.

As for fending off those unwanted garden visitors, licking their lips
at the sight of your newly robust plants, I'll have some tips in the
next column!

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs
and landscaping to for resources and additional
information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter,
visit www.landsteward.org