Getting ready for spring

PREPARATION: SET UP PLANT BEDS AND ADJUST PH

- Alice Spenser-Higgs

August is a transition month. There are signs of spring and the days are warming up, but the soil is still too cold for sowing seed and cold fronts can still be expected. What can an itchy-fingered gardener do?

With the following activities, the foundation will be set for a new season, so that by September the garden can really take off.

Work over the soil Prepare new beds and compost and aerate existing beds. Why not check out the soil pH levels as this can be a valuable guide for acid or alkaline-loving plants?

The Soil pH Meter from Kirchhoffs is simple to use. Remove topsoil to a depth of 5 cm and loosen the remaining soil, removing any stones and other debris and mix water into the soil.

Lightly rub the probe, but not the tip, with fine sandpaper or a nail file. Wipe with a cloth. Push the probe into the soil with a twisting motion and leave for one minute.

Read the dial on the meter, then remove and clean the probe with a cloth.