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Published on
Friday, September 17, 2021
 By Victoria Torley Cultivation. We hear it used in many contexts, but what exactly does it mean? You’re going to ‘cultivate’ the roses. The hibiscus needs to be ‘cultivated.’ But do you ever hear of someone ‘cultivating’ the grass in the lawn? Not very often. So, what is ‘cultivation?’ The simple answer is that cultivation is changing the composition of the soil in some way. Changing how it is fertilized, changing its texture, even pulling weeds is ‘cultivation.’ There are people who think that throwing fertilizer around a plant is all that is needed for cultivation, but that isn’t correct. The first thing that is needed is the right composition of soil. Here in Costa Rica we have a variety of soils, from clay to sand, and they all need something different if they are going to be forced to grow what we want them to grow. Clay, for example, can be dealt with in several ways. For one of my gardens, the best option was to have someone dig it out to a depth of about eight inches and throw it away! It was the worst kind of clay I have ever seen. Impenetrable. But clay has its uses. If, for example, you have sandy soil that drains water constantly, adding clay that has been broken into grains will help prevent water loss. But suppose you’re stuck with clay? Cultivation in clay is possible. Dig it out, smash it up, add composted vegetable scraps from the kitchen, composted manure from your neighbor’s cows, perhaps some chopped leaves, some construction sand and you can have viable soil. Why construction sand? Beach sand, the kind for children’s sandboxes, is too fine for cultivation. I once made that mistake in the U.S. and discovered that fine sand plus clay resulted in bricks. Bricks do not make healthy soil. It’s one reason the state of Georgia is known for its brickwork. Construction sand, on the other hand, is not just heavy-grained, but has small pebbles in it. Perfect for cultivation in clay. Pebbles, you ask? Pebbles keep the soil from compacting. Good soil is almost 30% air and air is important. There are lots of worms, bugs, and microorganisms that live in the soil, keeping it healthy and they all have to breathe. Pebbles help keep the soil aerated and provide spaces for water to percolate through the soil. Think you’re done? Nope. There is still pelleted fertilizer. Some people dislike ‘commercial’ fertilizers, but they are balanced plant nutrition. You can, of course, go out and buy a supply of: potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphate, urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, basic slag, nitro-chalk, and whatever else you think you may need and measure the quantities yourself ... You can do all that, if you have a degree in chemistry or agriculture, but me? I would be more likely to kill what I want to grow. So, that’s basic for that nasty clay. We’ll talk about other soils another time. --------------- Editor's note: More information on this article, Ms. Victoria Torley, gardener columnist, can be reached at victoriatorley1@gmail.com.             
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