I hung out at the Soil Forum and learned from the chemist and the experts there. They would tell anyone to get professional soil test (and not those INACCURATE test-kits at Lowe's, Menards, or HomeDepo). I have just finished reading the book, "Planting in difficult soils" written by a Texan, recommended by Sherry from Florida.

A good portion of Texas is alkaline. Horse manure and mushroom compost are reported to be VERY alkaline, over 10 pH (the pH of baking soda is 9). A simple test is to chop 50 cents of red cabbage, boil in DISTILLED WATER ($1 a gallon) for 10 minutes, discard the solids. Use the warm red juice and small plastic containers (like fruit cups) and test these: one drop of vinegar (pH 2 to 3) for the 1st cup, 1 teaspoon of baking soda for the second cup, MiracleGro potting soil (pH of 6.5), this should turn light pink. If your soil is neutral, the red cabbage juice stays purple, rather than pink acidic like MiracleGro.

The baking soda (pH of 9) turns greenish blue in red cabbage juice. If your 1 tablespoon of soil turns the same color or EVEN MORE green than the baking soda in cabbage juice - then it's very alkaline. The soil around here in my Chicagoland is alkaline. After EarthGro topsoil from HomeDepo killed my peony, I tested its pH and found pH of 8. Years ago I killed my Japanese maple tree with mushroom compost.

Even the over $200 pH meter needs calibration before use. Fishtank litmus paper sold at Walmart is good for testing the pH of your water, and not soil. One tablespoon of soil dissolved in warm red cabbage juice is an instant pH indicator. Please let me know the result. Thanks.

I had my soil tested by EarthCo., or drgoodearth, recommended by the rosarian Karl from Indiana. It's only $20 for a basic test, and was worth it.

Organic matter disappears with time as it is gradually eaten by bacteria, so it's good practice to add more each year at the surface. Just renewing a 3" mulch of bark, chips, shredded leaves, etc., is generally enough to do the trick. It takes a couple of years for each new application to decay and be carried down into the topsoil by worms and ants.

Mushroom compost is often highly alkaline because of added lime. Don't use it without a pH test unless your soil is highly acid.

It sounds like you may have the sandy loam that is common in East Texas. If so, you are lucky to have good mineral soil. If you need to add volume, maybe the best additive is just more soil from elsewhere in the yard. Generally organic matter does not add much volume permanently.

Naturally if you dig in winter after a heavy rain, the soil is going to be wet. That doesn't mean anything is wrong. Likewise, losing plants during a horrendous drought with temperatures running over 100 doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong with the soil. If you are concerned about the soil, I would recommend a soil test through the ag extension service.

I will try the cabbage test, sounds interesting! Also might go ahead and do the soil test. The reason I have not done that previously is I have several beds - if you take just one soil sample from one place in one bed - that doesnt tell you anything about the rest of the beds. But it would be interesting to know about one spot anyway.

I think what happened to this bed is that I started off well - things were growing and looked fabulous - but I dropped the ball for a couple of years [had a couple of knee surgeries] and the compost etc. I had the bed built up with worked itself into the soil - making it quite a bit lower. Most of the roses died last summer, daylilies, mini crepe myrtles, clematis are still alive. The bed is off to the side of my house - the hot west sun blasts down that side and the bed gets no shade at all during the day - with 105 degrees daily for nearly 3 months, and not enough mulch, that might have been enough to kill them. I dont think there is much wrong with the PH because previously, everything thrived in that bed, but I will do the tests just to make sure. It is 2 beds separated by an arbor with a gravel walkway and birdbath, and was simply gorgous a couple of years ago and I want to restore it to its former beauty. In case we have another horrendous summer - I want the bed and the roses I plan to replant in it to have plenty of mulch/protection from the heat/drought. I was thinking of making thin consecutive layers of the horse compost, mulched leaves, the mushroom/bark fines/sand mixture and starting over again, finishing with a fine bark mulch - is there anything you all would do differently? Since the bed is mostly cleared from everything except 2 large grasses and 2 mini crepe myrtles [am potting up the daylilies until I finish the bed] I have the opportunity to start over and do it properly. Thanks!

Judith, I'm sorry you lost roses. Hope this year is better for you.

I've heard other Texans say that cotton burr compost is much better for our soil than mushroom compost. Also, finely shredded pine bark mulch helps -- sure it decomposes faster than hardwood mulch, but that benefits the soil.

You're lucky you have access to horse compost! Lou

It just so happens that my feed store got in 10 bags of cotton burr compost - I have used this before and love it - I took all 10 bags! I am mostly finished getting the spring weeds out of it and the soil looks like it is ripe for adding compost, etc. Years ago, I had a huge raised bed and I filled it with nothing but mushroom compost. My roses and daylilies were fabulous. There is a company that has exceptional bark fines, mushroom compost, etc. etc. and they will mix it any way you want it. I am going to get a soil test done before I put anything on it....but cant see where mulched leaves, horse and cotton burr compost would do anything but help it. The bed has really sunk down in spots - and is where the bulk of my roses died, so am wondering if this was the problem plus maybe I overwatered in compensation for the drought. A good rosarian told me to only water roses deeply twice a week. I might have overdone it.......

I recommend DrGoodEarth.com for your soil test. They give results and recommendations in 100 or 1000 square feet. 100 sq feet is only a 10x10 area, 1000 sq. feet is 20x50. Fertilizers and soil amendents are recommended by brand name and measurements are expressed in common terms. Mention roses as your crop and results will be for roses. You buy the kit on line and they send you a prepaid mailer with instructions on how to take a sample. You can receive results by e-mail or regular mail.
A basic soil test is $20 and more complete tests can range up to $$45.

No! I'm not a paid advertiser nor do I get any discounts or other compensation from Dr. Good Earth. I just think they're good for the average gardener.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dr. Good Earth soil test