To have healthy plants they need not only protection against diseases and pests but also to grow in soil with the appropriate nutrients for their needs. Different soils have different properties and so the advice we give to gardeners can depend on the type of soil the garden has.
Although at first sight your garden soil would appear to be solid and robust, it is in fact a fragile living environment that must, at the very least, be protected and wherever possible improved by certain rules of good soil cultivation.
The very worst situation is directly after the builders have left the site of a newly-built house where the soil has been moved, mixed and compacted. The best types of soil will normally be the dark fertile top-soil (loam). Compaction is a problem that must always be addressed to ensure that there is no ‘pan’ or layer of compacted soil. This will prevent water from draining away and plant roots from penetrating it in dry spells in their search for water.
‘Pans’ can show their effects many years after planting and lead to the death of plants and drying out of lawns.
DOUBLE DIGGING
- Dig a trench one spade or fork deep and 70cm wide. Store the soil to fill the final trench.
- Fork over the base of the trench, adding compost or manure.
- Dig and throw forward the next 70cm mixing in organic material, so creating the next trench.
- Repeat until the entire plot has been dug and fill in the last trench with the soil from the first.
RULES FOR DOUBLE DIGGING
- Never attempt to prepare the soil when very wet or frozen.
- Always attempt to keep the fertile top -soil on the top and the sub-soil below.
- Add good quantities of organic material.
- Dig deep if ‘pans’ are suspected.
- On very wet soils consider additional drainage.
- When possible, prepare in autumn to leave winter weather to naturally break down the soil surface.
- Always try to work off a board when digging to prevent compaction.
SALVAGE
WEEDS AND GRASS COVER
Weeds, in particular perennial types, should be removed as seen by digging out or by using a weedkiller. Dandelions, Couch grass (Twitch), Ground Elder and Docks are among the worst. If the area is covered by grass or turf it may be worth considering removing it as thin turf and storing in a stack in one corner of the garden. By stacking them roots upwards in a tidy square heap they will soon rot down into top-soil that can be used later.
ACIDITY AND ALKALINITY
FERTILISERS
Inorganic:
These are either manufactured commercially from a chemical process or mined. Modern fertilisers are formulated into compounds that over a period of time release a balanced amount of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. There are straight fertilisers that supply one of the elements only and these can be used to correct any specific deficiency. They are applied as a dry powder or in granulated from during the spring at the manufacturers recommended rate. Some act quickly, others have a slow -release formulation releasing small amounts over a long period. Some can be applied as both a dry or liquid fertiliser with the liquids applied from late spring to early summer. Applying at the correct time is important to avoid wastage and damage.
Organic:
Applying fertiliser
The most popular way of feeding is by liquid fertiliser diluted into water, as directed on the packet. This is applied directly to the roots, and most healthy plants will benefit from being fed every two weeks during summer and perhaps once a month during winter. For small quantities of plants, liquid fertilisers marketed specially for house plants are ideal, since they are easy to dilute into small cans. For people with many house plants, containers and outdoor plants, the general purpose fertilisers such as Miracle-Gro are more versatile. It is best to make up a large watering can of fertiliser, then fill a smaller can from it.
Some fertilisers can also be absorbed through the leaves, a process known as foliar feeding. This can be applied through a sprayer or mister and is ideal for plants that need feeding during winter when the roots are less active, and for epiphytic plants such as bromeliads and orchids, which, because they naturally grow in trees, have small root systems and are more used to obtaining nourishment via their foliage.
Slow release fertilisers are ideal for busy people. These are added as tablets or sticks and gradually release nutrients over a period of three to six months.
It is worthwhile opting for a versatile, general purpose liquid fertiliser that can double as a foliar feed.
It is usually bad practice to feed a plant whose roots are bone dry and there is also little to be gained by feeding the roots of a sick plant. Some people mistakenly believe that they are applying a tonic, but sick roots will not be able to take up the fertiliser, which hangs around in the compost doing more harm than good. A weak foliar feed would be better.
GREEN MANURE
Green manures can also be used to cover bare patches of soil in the spaces between crops, or during intervals between one crop and the next. Fast-growing mustard sown before mid-September can be incorporated in October, for example, or the frosted remains left as mulch. Summer-grown green manures such as buckwheat and fenugreek form dense foliage that will effectively suppress weeds.
Green manures belonging to the pea and bean family (legumes) have the additional capacity of storing (fixing) nitrogen from the air to their root nodules, but only in summer. Nitrogen is a valuable plant nutrient.
Other benefits of green manures include protection of the soil surface from compaction by rain and shelter for beneficial insects such as ground beetles.
Using green manure
Problems
A dense carpet of green makes a perfect environment for slugs and snails, so control measures may be needed after green manuring.
Decaying green manures can suppress plant growth, so allow at least two weeks between incorporation and planting or sowing.
Club root can be a problem with green manures in the cabbage family, such as mustard.
For more information, please visit one of our Garden Centres and speak to a member of our friendly and knowledgable plant team.
