Building up a garden can take considerable time and effort. This is especially true if your soil is of poor quality. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to build up your garden over time and overcome any soil challenges. To help ensure your garden is getting the care it needs, here are some things you need to know.  

Test Your Soil

Just knowing that your soil is not good for growing a garden is not enough. You need to know much more, such as the levels of alkaline or acid are present. By knowing this information, you can tailor your approach to repairing your soil. 

Soil testing kits can be found at most home improvement stores. You can follow the directions to find out just what challenges you are facing. If the pH level you get from the test is high according to the instructions, it usually means that you are dealing with acid. If it is low, alkaline can be the culprit. 

To correct an alkaline issue, you can use sulfur. To correct acid problems, you can add lime to your garden. 

Add Topsoil

For some gardens, the solution for soil problems is adding topsoil. Depending on the topsoil you select (from a local outlet such as AAROC Aggregates Topsoil) your garden can instantly gain soil that is rich in the organic matter that is necessary for its growth. 

There is a trick to adding topsoil, though. It cannot be compacted too much. When the topsoil is compacted and dense, your plants will have difficulty growing roots. The roots need a simpler environment in which to grow. If the topsoil is too densely compacted, you need to loosen it. 

To loosen it, you can use either an aeration machine or do it manually with a hoe and other garden tools. The idea is to loosen the soil so that there are holes or plugs in it that allow for air and water to get through to the roots of the plants. If you choose to use a machine, follow the manufacturer's instructions. You might have to go over the garden several times to really loosen the soil. 

Whether you are doing it by hand or using a machine, you should do it when the soil is moist. This can make it easier to move the soil. Once you have aerated the soil, you can plant your seeds and plants. You also need to apply fertilizer. 

Building the perfect garden can time trial and error. However, once your soil is prepared, you have a solid foundation on which you can build.