With the arrival of spring, gardeners prepare for a season of vibrant blooms and lush greenery, but the secret to a successful garden lies beneath the surface: healthy soil.

As garden enthusiasts prepare to till their plots, it is paramount that they understand how to nourish and prepare the soil for optimal plant growth.

Healthy soil is the foundation on which thriving gardens are built; this provides essential nutrients, minerals and moisture retention while encouraging robust growth.

Poor quality soil, meanwhile, can lead to poor germination, stunted growth and overall unhealthy-looking plants.

Soil quality can have a huge impact on a growing season By taking proactive steps to improve soil health, gardeners can ensure their plants have the necessary support to reach their full potential.

Check out FEMAIL’s step-by-step checklist below to transform your soil into a fertile haven, ready for a bountiful harvest this spring.

1. Digging, lifting and turning

Start by preparing the soil by loosening and turning it. This process allows more air to penetrate the soil, which is essential for robust root growth.

Well-aerated soil ensures that your flowers and plants get the oxygen they need for healthy development.

Lift the same amount of soil from the area immediately behind it (further into your property) and place the excavated soil upside down into the original trench, breaking it up as you go.

According to Jackson Nurseriesit is advisable to work methodically along your rectangular strip, placing each trench in the space in front of it.

2. Test the soil pH

Before making any amendments, a crucial aspect of soil preparation is testing the composition and pH levels.

Soil test kits, often available at garden centers or local extension offices, can allow gardeners to assess the nutrient levels and acidity in their soil, according to Envi.

Armed with this information, gardeners can make informed decisions about what amendments, such as compost, lime or organic matter, are needed to optimize soil fertility and pH balance.

3. Add fertilizer or compost

Incorporating rich organic matter, such as compost, fertilizer or manure, into the soil is another essential practice to enrich its quality.

Compost not only adds valuable nutrients to the soil, but also improves its structure, improves drainage and aeration while promoting microbial activity.

Gardeners can make their own compost using kitchen scraps, yard waste and other organic matter, or purchase compost from local suppliers.

4. Add alternative organic material

In addition to other traditional fertilizers and composts, it may be helpful to add other forms of organic matter, such as leaf mold, grass clippings or straw.

These materials further improve soil structure and help with moisture retention and aeration, according to experts at Envi.

5. Add ‘good’ bacteria

When you add beneficial microbes to the soil as a probiotic supplement or other soil amendments, you can grow healthier plants in your garden.

These microorganisms play a crucial role in the absorption of nutrients and water, stimulate root growth, combat harmful microorganisms and strengthen plants against pests and parasites.

Some of the basic types of microbes that improve soil fertility and benefit your plants, as defined by experts at Center for houseplantsinclude: Actinomycetes, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes.

Using microbes also encourages earthworms and provides aeration and drainage in your soil.

6. Give it time

Prepare the soil for a period of two to three weeks and begin turning it before adding your organic amendments.

Make sure there is time between each step so that the soil can absorb the nutrients and the good bacteria can become established.

7. Monitor watering and prevent compaction

It is important to be mindful of your watering practices to prevent soil compaction and nutrient loss.

Deep watering once a week will generally contribute more to a plant’s durability than shallow watering more often.

According to Garden City Tree & LandscapeIt is imperative to be careful not to overwater as this can lead to root rot and other plant problems. Check soil moisture levels before watering to avoid unnecessary irrigation.

Avoid walking on garden beds and use raised beds or paths to minimize soil compaction.

8. Use green manures

Green manures are fast-growing plants – such as clover and rye – that are sown to cover bare ground.

When dug into the ground while still green, their leaves smother weeds, prevent soil erosion, fix nitrogen, return valuable nutrients to the soil and improve soil structure.

Experts at Envi Note that planting ground covers in your garden during the off-season can significantly improve soil quality.

A dense carpet of green foliage provides a perfect environment for pests such as snails, Further control measures may therefore be necessary after green manuring.

9. Go mulching

Mulching is an effective technique to conserve soil moisture and suppress weed growth.

Mulch acts as an insulating blanket, reducing evaporation and protecting the soil from excessive heat.

Apply a layer of organic mulch, such as wood chips or straw, about two to four inches deep around your plants, as described in Garden time.

Be careful not to put mulch against the plant’s stems as this can lead to moisture-related problems.

10. Prepare for next year

Once the growing season is over, you can prepare for the next by re-digging, lifting and turning your soil, adding more organic matter and probiotic soil conditioner.

According to EnviThis process helps break down plant roots and waste, enriching the soil for the following year.

By investing time and effort in nurturing healthy soil, gardeners lay the foundation for a season of bountiful growth, while ensuring their gardens bloom and thrive in the months to come.

By Zeenia Naqvee

Published: 11:23 EST, March 6, 2024 | Updated: 11:24 EST, March 6, 2024

By Zeenia Naqvee

Published: 05:03 EST, February 13, 2024 | Updated: 06:24 EST, February 13, 2024

 Macaulay Culkin was honored on Friday, December 1st with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

He was supported by his fiancee, actress Brenda Song, and their two sons, Dakota, two, and Carson, who was born sometime before Christmas 2022.

The ceremony marks the first time they have stepped out at a public event with both of their children.

Macaulay, 43, was seen planting a kiss on their youngest son’s head as Brenda, 35, sweetly looked on while at his ceremony, which took place in Hollywood.

Macaulay was supported by his Home Alone co-star Catherine O’Hara at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony – 33 years after they played mother and son in the iconic film.

During Macaulay’s acceptance speech, he gave Brenda a sweet shoutout.

‘I’d like to thank Brenda. You’re absolutely everything. You’re the best person I’ve ever known. And after the birth of our two boys, you’ve become one of my three favorite people,’ Macaulay said.

They welcomed their first child, Dakota Song Culkin on April 5, 2021.

The couple named him Dakota after Macaulay’s late sister Dakota ‘Cody’ Culkin, who died at the age of 29 in 2008 after getting struck by a car while crossing a street. 

They did not announce she was expecting a baby, only revealing her pregnancy post labor. In a joint statement, the couple said they were ‘overjoyed’ with the arrival. 

Macaulay and Brenda secretly welcomed baby number two sometime before Christmas 2022, according to Us Weekly‘s sources. 

Macaulay and Brenda sparked dating rumors in June 2017 after meeting on the set of the film Changeland; their engagement news was revealed in January 2022 after over four years of dating. 

For his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, Macaulay chose a black suit with a white button up; the handsome star also rocked a beard.

Brenda stunned in a white ruffled shirt, adding a black tweed duster coat, trousers and coordinating boots.

The former Disney star wore her long hair center parted, with a touch of makeup – highlighting her beautiful natural features.

His eldest son Dakota rocked a mohawk; the toddler looked adorable in his blue suit for his dad’s ceremony.

Baby Carson wore a knitted sweater with a vest on top, looking sweet in his mother’s arms. 

Macaulay was introduced at his Hollywood Walk of Ceremony by his former Home Alone co-star – Catherine O’Hara, 69.

Catherine played his mother Kate McAllister- with Macaulay as Kevin McAllister – in the beloved and iconic film Home Alone, which was released in 1990 when he was only 10 years old. 

In the film, Kevin is accidentally forgotten home alone while his entire family went to France for the holidays.

While left to his own devices, Kevin cleverly fights off thieves from ransacking their family home. 

The actors reprised their role in the 1992 follow-up Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. 

Catherine said at the ceremony: ‘As a very neglectful fake mother, I’m very glad that he’s given me another chance to show up for him,’ via Variety.

‘I’d seen him in Uncle Buck with dear John Candy and thought, “Where did this beautiful little boy come from?”‘ she said.

‘He was most obviously gifted with a beautiful face, but he was also a really natural actor. He was so relatable and real,’ per the outlet.

‘He is the reason we have all made watching Home Alone a family holiday tradition,’ she said. 

‘Home Alone was, is, always will be a beloved global sensation… the reason families all over the world can’t let a year go by without watching and loving Home Alone Together is because of Macaulay Culkin,’ she said, per People. 

‘It is Macaulay’s perfect performance as Kevin McCallister that gave us that little every boy on an extraordinary adventure.’ 

‘Macaulay, congratulations. You so deserve your star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And thank you for including me, your fake mom who left you home alone not once but twice, to share in this happy occasion. I’m so proud of you,’ Catherine said. 

The co-stars shared a hug after her speech, with Macaulay wiping tears away during the special moment.

Natasha Lyonne also gave a speech in his honor; they starred together in the 2003 film Party Monsters.

Macaulay teared up as he thanked Catherine and Natasha for their speeches: ‘Thanks for all your kind words and your stories and stuff.’

Adding: ‘You know, you made my kids’ dad, their papa, look good. And the most important thing to me is also that their papa understands that he wasn’t always his papa; he used to be a kid too, you know?,’ he said.

‘To wrap things up, and in the spirit of the holiday season, I just wanna say Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals,’ he said, quoting his iconic line from the Home Alone franchise.

Macaulay’s siblings Quinn Culkin and Rory Culkin were on hand to support their brother during his special day.

His 25-year-old goddaughter Paris Jackson – the daughter of Michael Jackson – also attended to support him, as did pal Seth Green. 

Macaulay received the 2,765th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category Motion Pictures; his star is located at 6353 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. 

In addition to Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Macaulay starred in the beloved film My Girl in 1991, Uncle Buck in 1989, The Nutcracker, Getting Even With Dad and The Pagemaster and Richie Rich in 1993.

Macaulay took a break from acting in 1995, returning in 2003 for a guest appearance in Will & Grace.

He also starred in Party Monster, American Horror Story: Double Feature, The Righteous Gemstones, Entergalactic, Dollface and more. 

He made his acting debut in uncredited role in 1985 in the TV movie The Midnight Hour; his first credited role was in 1998 in an episode of The Equalizer. 

At least a dozen companies have similar casino dreams for locations in Times Square, Hudson Yards, next to Citi Field and even atop the Saks Fifth Avenue department store near Rockefeller Center. Stefanos Chen, a colleague who has covered the fight over casino licenses, noted that the commission for Munro’s work was a sign of what developers were willing to do to generate goodwill — a key factor in convincing local officials and residents who have a say in the permitting process.

Michael Hershman, the CEO of the Soloviev Group and member of the advisory board of the Soloviev Foundation, said the installation would remain up for a year “regardless of whether we get a license or not.” He also said that if Soloviev were to win a casino license, part of Munro’s exhibition would feature in the landscape design. “It’s going to be a permanent fixture,” Hershman said.

The installation will be an immersive, walk-through experience, like “Bruce Munro: Light at Sensorio”, which opened in 2019 in Pasa Robles, California. Our writer Patricia Leigh Brown called the California exhibition a “stunning spectacle” that has become an Instagram phenomenon. “The subtly changing patterns of this light safari, activated by a spray of fiber optic cables attached to hidden projectors, seem to inspire a cathedral-like awe,” she wrote.

Hershman said the conversations that led to Munro’s commission for the East Side site began before the pandemic, when Hershman and the sons of developer Sheldon Solow were considering the future of Solow’s art collection. In the decade before his death in 2020, Solow had become a major seller of masterpieces at auction, but he “was unwilling to give the public access” to the art he acquired, Hershman said.

After Solow died, his son Stefan Soloviev (who uses a pre-Ellis Island family name) became chairman of the renamed Soloviev Group and took “a completely different approach to opening the collection to the public,” Hershman said. The foundation, also renamed, “wanted to do something as a gift to the city, to let the city know that we operate in a very different way than Sheldon operated,” he added.