With the days growing longer and gardening season growing closer, now is the time to plan for healthy garden soil.
Most gardeners are familiar with plants' needs for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
There are, however, other less familiar though equally important nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth which may be in short supply in our soils. Calcium is typically deficient in our area, due in part to plentiful rainfall. Besides playing a major role in improving soil structure, calcium helps regulate the flow of nutrients throughout the plant. A lack of calcium can cause blossom end rot in tomatoes, while an abundance helps vine-ripened tomatoes become huge. Plants need sulfur to form proteins, and nitrogen can't do its job without sulfur.