If you want to produce grate crops in your garden then your soil needs to contain various gardening manures and lime which is replenished at regular intervals.
The organic matter within the soil is being continually broken down and with out fresh annual applications of bulky manures, the crumb structure and efficiency of drainage will rapidly deteriorate.
Certain foods can be supplied to the soil by means of farmyard manure or compost in addition to those gained from fertilizers.
Lime which is continually being washed away by rain and removed by crops is needed to neutralize the products of decay and to change the pH of the soil.
In conjunction with organic matter the lime conditions the land by altering the structure of the soil to improve the drainage.
Lime is best applied during the winter months, a few weeks after the manure has been dug in and two or three weeks before the fertilizer is applied.
If the fertilizers and manures are applied at the same time then the calcium and nitrogen will react with each other causing a loss of nitrogen.
Improved soil conditions will enable plant roots to grow deeply for food and water.
When organic manure such as mulch is used as a surface dressing it will reduce the moister loss by acting as a sponge and it will in conjunction produce trace elements of plant food.
Dressing manure is normally added to the soil in the autumn and winter.
Or it can be used as a surface dressing in the spring an summer around fruit trees, rose bushes and shrubs.
These types gardening manures will help to conserve the moisture of the soil.