What you do in your own backyard influences water quality near and far, from the pond in your backyard to your neighbor's well, and all the way to the Everglades. You may bring in soil, mulch, turfgrass and plants; build a swimming pool, pond or deck into your yard, and never really think much about the activity having an impact beyond your backyard. And then there's regular maintenance: fertilizing, irrigation, pest management. Each activity has the potential to harm if done improperly. Practicing clean and green yard management is simpler than you might guess, and rewarding for you and your family, as well as the Everglades!
From the Ground Up
Florida soils have varying textures, colors, water holding capacities and nutrient levels for plants. It is important to examine and analyze your soil before you start a landscaping project, and re-examine it every few years to see if changes have occurred.
Most Florida soil types do a good job of supporting plant life -- just look around at the variety of plants growing naturally in Florida!
If you are creating a new yard or garden, or if the plants in your garden don't seem to be growing well or look pale and unhealthy, don't just start fertilizing. First, see what's in your soil. You can find this out by taking a soil sample, and then sending it to a laboratory.
DID YOU KNOW? A soil test is easy and cheap. Sample kits are available for free, and a basic test can be done for less than 10 dollars.
The following conditions are very important to know about your soil. This helps you to choose the kinds of plants that are best for your yard, and to see if additional fertilizer or compost are necessary.
Things to Check:
*Soil type (Sand, clay or rich soil), *Phosphorus(P), *potassium (K), *calcium (Ca), *magnesium (Mg), and *pH usually are the basic elements inclued in a soil test analysis.
A test will tell you if your soil is missing certain minerals, if the pH needs to be changed or if there is too much or too little phosphorus, nitrogen, or other elements that are necessary for a healthy landscape.
Soil sample test kits are often available free of charge at the local County Extension office or the University of Florida. For more info, go to http://soilslab.ifas.ufl.edu/
Drainage Capacity
Besides what is in the soil, it is also important to know how well the soil drains water. If you have only sand as soil, water will easily drain into the ground. If layers of clay are present, water will not drain into the ground as quickly, and will either run off from the lawn, or keep the soil very wet (saturated).
To check how well your soil drains, just dig a hole, fill it with water and see how quickly the water goes away. You don't want your plants to drown or not be able to take up water they need before it disappears.
Appropriate drainage is very important because it helps prevent problems with pests or diseases that could affect your landscape.
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