| Dig the soil well: | | | | ensure the roots are not in direct touch with the |
| A spade is usually good enough to dig up the soil. | | | | manure. Bone meal is an excellent fertilizer which acts |
| Chances are high for the soil to retain excess water | | | | slowly into the top layer. Necessary nutrients can be |
| during wet seasons, and to avoid this, the hole in the | | | | supplied to the plant in this way. Plant food can be |
| soil needs to be made deep enough. Soil could be | | | | released into the soil for a longer duration. You need to |
| lumpy and would need breaking down. The use of ash, | | | | note that bone meal may not suit all plants. There also |
| cinders, and sand should from the bottom layer. For | | | | exist some lime-hating plants that avoid absorption of |
| improving quality you can also add peat moss, | | | | calcium. |
| compost, grass clippings, manure further into the soil. | | | | Another option is mixing up a part of horn and hoof |
| After this the top layer needs to be prepared for | | | | and two parts of bone meal to prepare better organic |
| planting. | | | | matter for the soil, which can then be forked into the |
| For preparing the top layer, leaf mould, peat moss, | | | | soils well. Many people may not know whether the soil |
| humus, and manure can be used in appropriate | | | | is alkaline or acidic. Special kits called soil testing kits |
| quantities. It is a good habit to use sand, wood ash and | | | | are available in the shops for testing the soil. Testing |
| lime also to improve the quality of the top layer of the | | | | soil is also known as testing the pH value. If the pH |
| soil. This is not actually necessary, but can be done as | | | | value is less it means it's acidic, and if above it is |
| and when required. | | | | alkaline in nature. To facilitate the absorption of |
| Manure should not touch the roots: | | | | different nutrients, you can add peat moss and leaf |
| Roots of the plant are very sensitive and hence | | | | mould into the soils. |