29 Aug Digging Into Gardening – Prepare For Spring – PODCAST

Spring will be here before we know it. Listen in as Simon tells us all we need to know about getting our garden soil on the right track for the warmer growing weather. Listen to the full podcast now or take a minute to read Simon’s tips about getting your soil ready for Spring.

Summer gardens are made in winter. It’s the preparation of the soil that will allow our plants to flourish.

SOIL

• Good soil takes time. Soil is a living thing and it contains millions of micro-nutrients, it’s about protecting and feeding these
• It all starts with organic matter, manure, compost, worm castings will all lead to a good strong healthy soil
• Dig all these things in through the soil to make an integrated mix allowing the roots of the plans to develop faster
• A good soil helps plants retain moisture during warmer weather and insulates from the cold in cooler seasons
• Know your soil – if you have heavy clay based soil opt for a lighter form of organic matter like leaf litter, but if you are in the coastal areas with more sandy soil you’ll want to add more manures to help retain the moisture

MULCH

• Mulch – acts like a blanket to protect the soil and look after the micro-organisms. If they get too cold they go deeper into your soil and away from your plants
• It also helps to keep a more consistent growing environment. Find a balance between the mulch breaking down and helping to improve the soil, get out the digging fork and dig the mulch back into your soil. The faster the mulch breaks down, the more it is feeding your garden

FERTILISERS

• There are thousand of different products from granular to liquids, most a really good. It’s about getting a range of nutrients into your soil. Use a variety from one season to the next. Organic based products will give you a faster result and more plant accessible. There is not one product that will be the magic bullet that fixes everything.

WEEDS

• As the saying goes, “one years seeding equals seven years weeding” – the sooner you get the weeds out of the garden. The weeds fight with your plants for nutrients so it’s important to weed regularly.

Do the preparation now so your plants are ready to take advantage of the warmer growing weather.