HOMESTEAD HOW-TO
Wood ash increases soil alkalinity, benefiting acidic soils. Always cool the ash before use and test your soil first.
Mixing used coffee grounds into your soil is a great way to add nitrogen. Coffee grounds decompose gradually, creating space for aeration in the garden. This is especially great if you drink coffee regularly.
Compost, or composted manure, will release nitrogen into the soil as the materials decompose. A high-quality organic compost from a garden center is a good choice, or you can make your own compost throughout the year at home with food and kitchen scraps.
A quick way to add nitrogen to your soil is by using a blood meal, which is dried, powdered animal blood from butcheries. It’s packed with nitrogen and can boost your plants when sprinkled around them and watered.
You can also grow cover crops, such as alfalfa or clover, in your garden to increase nitrogen levels naturally. Cover crops are plants that are grown specifically to improve the quality of the soil.
Another way to increase nitrogen in your garden is to plant nitrogen-fixing plants that have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria in the soil. The bacteria live on the plants’ roots and convert nitrogen gas into a form of nitrogen that plants can use.
Grass clippings from your lawn are an excellent nitrogen source if not treated with chemicals. As a bonus, grass clippings can serve as mulch early in the season when spread over the surface of the garden between plants.