Planting the seeds for healthy soil

Author: Adam Fitzhenry   Date Posted:19 February 2020 

Most of us want healthy plants and lawns and the secret starts with the soil.

So, you’re trying to lay the groundwork for homegrown garden success?! Cultivating healthy gardens and lawns doesn’t have to be difficult, but it does start with the soil. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a soil scientist to get the basics right.  

Soil is a living eco system that can be dead, healthy, sick or undernourished. Cultivating healthy soil is a combination of a stable pH, good soil structure, biodiversity of soil life, level of organic matter and the soil’s ability to hold and release nutrients to plants.

If you’re after long term healthy lawns and gardens, your success will depend on the state of your soil. It will also help protect your plants from disease issues, pests and of course, look and grow better.

Determining the health of your soil

First things first, get to know your soil. A handful of soil will give you an indication of its structure. Is it dry or moist? What colour is it? Can you see any earthworms?

Generally speaking, there are three main types of soil that include clay soil, sandy soil and loam, which is ideal for gardens and lawns. The below table will give you a rough idea of your soil health based on its colour. 

Adding organic content

Hand’s down – this is one of the best ways to improve your soil! It’s fair to say that organic matter is the lifeblood for healthy functioning soil and without it, soil can and will often starve. It helps store nutrients, improve soil structure, retain moisture and provides a food source for earthworms and microorganisms.

Organic matter is any material previously alive and can include compost, lawn clippings and animal manure. It doesn’t matter whether your soil is low in nutrients, clay-based or sandy, organic matter will help.  

Having your own compost system is an ideal method of delivering organic matter to you soil. But if not, there are several other options available.

You can try adding grass clippings, aged manure, coffee grounds, shredded leaves that have fallen, worm castings and organic nutrient-dense fertilisers such as Seaweed Secrets, Humic Acid, Power Pellets, Nature’s Soil Wetter, Activ8mate or Fulvic acid.

Having a healthy pH

This is simply a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity in your soil, but it does affect the minerals in the soil and their availability to plants. Generally, the more neutral your soil is, the better plants are able to absorb minerals. While some plants prefer more acidic soil, a more neutral pH is ideal for most flowers, herbs and vegetables.

You can pick up a soil pH testing kit from most hardware stores or nurseries and this will help determine whether or not there’s an imbalance.

Acidic soil: If the pH of your soil is less than 6.5, it’s probably too acidic for most plants. You can improve this by regularly adding quality compost and dolomite or limestone. These can come in powder or granular forms, or we stock liquids for a quick and easy application.

Alkaline soil: If your test reads higher than 6.8, you may need to acidify your soil, which is generally achieved by adding sulfur.

Note: Amending soil pH doesn’t typically happen quickly and it can take several years (or longer) to turn a heavy clay soil into a nice sandy loam soil. Before trying to amend your soil pH too drastically, seek a professional opinion, as some test kits, and instructions, may not be entirely accurate.

The use of Humic and Fulvic acids can help buffer pH issues and help unlock ‘tied-up’ nutrients within the soil, stimulate microbial activity and help improve soil structure and life.

Soil nutrients

Generally speaking, if you increase the organic matter in your soil, you will also be delivering nutrients. But you can give your lawns and gardens a helping hand with some ideal products.

If you prefer liquid or water-soluble fertilisers, you can apply our Nature’s Soil Wetter, Seaweed Secrets and/or Activ8mate, in smaller amounts more frequently. Or if you favour the granular or powdered variety, our Power Pellets, Humic and Fulvic acid Powders or granules, Nature’s Soil Wetter or our range of Champion fertilisers are an excellent alternative.  

And lastly, but certainly not least, is VolcaMin Zeolite, the landscape grade. This under-rated soil improver holds more than sixty per cent of its weight in water, therefore making it an excellent long-term and cost-effective water saving solution. VolcaMin Zeolite traps and holds nutrients and fertilisers, releasing them to the plant or grass when needed and helps reduce chemical usage and wastage. It’s ideal for improving soil structure and helps create a home for beneficial microbes. You can blend this with granular fertilisers prior to application to reduce chemical usage and nutrient run-off and it also helps reduce chemical burn from cheap or volatile fertilisers.

Leave a comment