Ensuring that your soil is good for your plants is crucial. If you want the best results when planting things, having nutrient-rich soil is definitely important.
Sadly, some people’s yards are going to have soil that lacks certain things. For example, your soil might not have sufficient sulfur levels.
When sulfur levels are low, plants are going to suffer in specific ways. You don’t have to just accept this, though, since it’s possible to add sulfur to the soil.
Read on to learn how to add this important element to your soil naturally. This should help you to get the best results in your garden this year.
Why Is Sulfur Important for the Soil?
Sulfur is important for the soil because it helps plants to grow. It’s going to acidify the soil, and some plants need to grow in soil that has a particular acidity level.
Before moving forward, it’s going to be important to understand the pH level of the soil. Adding sulfur will lower the pH level, and you might need things to stay within a certain range.
Depending on what you want to grow, you’ll need to add a specific amount of sulfur. You don’t want to add too much because you’ll skew things too far in one direction.
It’s always good to look up specific information about how much sulfur certain plants need. Learn about the pH level requirement of certain plants so that you can achieve an ideal environment.
Add Elemental Sulfur to the Soil
The easiest way to add sulfur to the soil is to add elemental sulfur. You just need to know that it isn’t easy to do this when you already have plants in the garden.
It would be best for you to alter the soil’s pH level during a time when nothing is planted in the garden area. Then you’ll be able to add what you need to alter the levels over time.
The process isn’t going to be a quick one. Often, it’s going to take several months to get the soil to have as much sulfur as you need it to.
In some situations, it might even take a few years to get the best results. You can add sulfur to the soil in the spring after you’ve done a soil test.
Once you know what the results of the soil test are, you’ll be able to determine how much you wish to add to it. Till to a depth of six inches and add the soil to the area.
Being able to till is going to speed up the process a little bit. It should ensure that you get good results in months instead of years.
Can You Add Sulfur to the Soil While Plants Are Present?
Technically, you can add sulfur to the soil while plants are present in the garden area. It’s just not going to go as fast, and you won’t get the best results.
You’ll simply have to add a little bit at a time to make little changes. The sulfur will be added at the surface of the soil, and you won’t really be able to till to a certain depth.
Do your best to rake it into the soil gently. You’ll need to do so without disturbing the roots of your plants if you don’t want to harm them.
This can be a bit of an arduous task, but it can indeed be done. You’ll be able to alter the pH balance, but it’ll take a long time to make radical changes.
You should get some small results within a few months if you keep adding a little bit at a time. Just keep using your soil testing kit to see where you’re at and don’t give up.
Amend the Soil with Compost
Amending the soil with compost is another option if you don’t wish to use elemental sulfur. You’re going to want to use well-decomposed compost for this job.
Organic matter contains sulfur, and this means that adding compost to the soil will organically add sulfur to it. This is a good idea because it can be good for the soil and plants in other ways.
Compost is nutrient-rich, and it has many beneficial microorganisms in it. It’s possible that your plants will thrive as never before if you amend the soil with compost.
Start composting organic items in your yard. Creating a simple compost bin won’t take much of your time, and the results are going to be well worth it.
Water Plants Using Compost Tea
This next idea is kind of odd, but it’s actually very useful. You can make compost tea and water your plants using this liquid.
It’s another way to add sulfur to the soil naturally. Doing this is going to be pretty easy overall.
You need to take a five-gallon bucket of water and let it sit out in the sun for a day. After this, you put your compost into the bucket and stir things up.
You’ll be pouring about two cups of compost for every gallon of water that you use. Let this bucket sit for two days and stir things up periodically when you remember to do so.
Take the time to strain the liquid and then place it into a watering can. You’ll now be free to water your garden and add sulfur to the soil at the same time.
Sprinkle Coffee Grounds in the Garden
Coffee grounds will do a better job of adding acidity to the soil than you might think. If you’re a big coffee drinker, there’s a good chance that you wind up with lots of coffee grounds.
You can add the coffee grounds to your compost bin, but you can also sprinkle them directly on the soil. This can act to raise the acidity of the soil over time.
If you do this often, you should be able to slowly make a difference and change the pH balance of the soil. All you need to do is remember not to throw those coffee grounds away.
The grounds will break down in the soil and it’ll help to acidify it. If you’d rather amend the soil with compost, just use coffee grounds in your compost since they’ll do such a good job of adding acidity to the compost.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.