Plant health in our garden starts in the soil. Soil that’s alive and teaming with microbes helps keep our plants disease and pest resistant. Healthy soil consists of a balance of microscopic bacteria, fungus, plants and animals. So how do you achieve this balance you might ask ....here’s how.

Good soil should have a high content of organic material. If we live in a woodland area or surrounded by a natural environment where the soil has not been disturbed, its all in place and ready to plant. For a moment lets pretend we have a new house that has a gravel or clay soil. We will need to amend our soil or bring the soil back to life. Adding a layer of topsoil high in organic or what I like to use, a soil mixed with leaf-mold compost will bring the soil back to life. Decomposed leaves or what I call “black gold” brings microbial life back into the soil. In turn, our plants growing in this natural environment will require less, if any pesticides and fertilizers. So save the leaves each fall and bring them back in to the garden as mulch once they break down.

Also, we need to get away from old habits such as quick release or synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and inorganic insecticides. These do nothing but kill the soil, pollute the ground and turn our plants into drug addicts.

Gardening in the Pawling area, because it’s a mountain environment has many different soil types. One important soil type I’d like to mention is the limestone vein that runs through the Harlem Valley. Limestone is a natural filter for running water and its one of the reasons why our ground water is so clean. Gardening in this limestone can be a challenge if we don’t follow the rules. Plants that prefer limestone soils should be planted over plants that require a more acid loving soil. Areas such as Cedar Valley, parts of the Highlands, Deerfield Ponds and Baxter Green fall into this limestone vein. Consult your local garden center or cooperative extension for plants to use in your soil.