Improve the health of your Garden soil

 How to improve the health of your soil

It is astonishing to think that in a small teaspoon of soil, there are billions of microorganisms that play a role in the life cycle of the soil. These microbes work hard, breaking down plant materials and animal tissues, creating airways, and introducing nutrients that ensure plants have access to air, water and nutrients. Once you understand this, it is imperative for farmers to replenish the organic matter that feeds and thrives on these vital microbes. Think of it as a squash drink - with a little residue left on the bottom of the glass, add more density and water, otherwise the mixture will be too weak and just tasteless...

Soil

If you wait until your homemade compost is ready, or there is no space for a compost heap or tank, non-charcoal-free organic fertilizers are more available - they are more expensive than alternatives. , But I believe it is worth the cost. For some years now, I have also been using a bio-based fertilizer, which helps to establish roots quickly and promotes nutrient and microbial population in the soil, which significantly improves plant health and productivity.

Beet-free compost

Option for sustainable gardeners Charcoal harvesting from lowland swamps affects wildlife that depends on these habitats and local ecosystems. As the sale of charcoal to gardeners is banned from 2024, a number of alternatives are being offered. In the early years without beets, it really wasn’t a viable alternative because they dried so quickly, but these days, recipes and ingredients have improved, and it’s still very effective. Read the label and go to the brands that provide a lot of information on how to use and maintain the product. Consider fertilizers with beneficial additives such as biocides, sponges, and mycorrhizal fungi because they all help crops grown in containers.

Soilless compost

These fertilizers are made from a mixture of any material such as charcoal, coconut fiber, bark, or vermiculite and are specially formulated for containers and specific types of plants. They provide good drainage, ventilation, and neutral pH. They are mild and, in general, you do not need to use any nutrients for the first six weeks.

Ericaceous compost

This gives the right acidity to crops such as blueberries and cranberries, which require soils with a pH of 4 to 5 (neutral soil pH 7; alkaline soils above pH 7). It is readily available for purchase at garden centers, DIY stores, or online.

Free drainage compost

Some crops, especially Mediterranean herbs, require a very open, free-drainage growing medium. The addition of a horticultural grid or perlite to common fertilizers helps to provide optimal conditions by improving ventilation and preventing compost water stagnation and compaction. A good ratio to use is 3-part fertilizer and 1-part horticultural grid.

Compost tips

When you pour water, fill the containers with compost about 2.5cm from the top to avoid washing the soil on the sides.

As a rule of thumb, a 20-liter bag of compost will fill a pot with a diameter of 30 cm. If you are replanting a pot completely with new plants, it is best to apply fresh compost every year. But, with large containers, you can remove only two-thirds of the manure and apply fresh manure for each planting season. Over-fertilizing (removing the top layer of old manure and refreshing with new manure) is sufficient for perennials that are in the same container each year (after three or four years of growth).

Worms

The unassuming man of the humble earthworm soil. Many of us may know that it is better to dig a hole in your garden and find that there are a lot of worms. However, the benefits of having them live in your soil go far beyond creating or just creating a delicious treat for our feathered friends.

The important thing to know is that earthworms cut their way into all kinds of organic matter. Once processed through their gut, it becomes a worm rich in microbial activity, has a high nutrient content, and helps to improve soil structure and improve water retention.

If there is no soil in your backyard, do not despair. You can still enjoy the benefits of worms by setting up a worm. An ideal fit for sowing seeds or potting your plants Not only does it produce compact, peeling compost, but it also produces a wonderful compostable liquid that will also eat up your kitchen waste - not to mention cooked food scraps, vegetable peels, coffee grounds, and tea leaves, hair, wool, and vacuum cleaner dust.

And other wonders

Nitrogen is essential for plant growth, and nitrogen-fixing plants can be very effective in the vegetable garden. While this may seem a little heavy in science, it is actually quite straightforward. Legumes - such as peas and beans and clover - are also known as nitrogen fixers, which combine with bacteria to collect nitrogen from the atmosphere and store it as they grow (requiring very little nitrogen). When the plant dies, it releases stored nitrogen, which raises the level of nitrogen in the soil, thus benefiting other plants.

It is best to plant nitrogen fixers next to any leafy vegetables (lettuce, silver beet, cabbage, broccoli, bog soy, etc.) that are known to require high nitrogen. Deep-rooted herbs such as camphor, borage, and dandelion collect nutrients from the depths of the soil and retain these enormous nutrients in their leaves. The leaves of these herbs can be chopped and dug lightly into your soil to act as fertilizer for nearby plants. Be careful with comfrey in the vegetable growing area, a new camphor plant will sprout whenever you cut a root so it becomes permeable.