Good soil allows your garden to grow, down and up

Does your garden soil give plants enough room to grow?

Like any built structure, the strength of the foundation determines just how high you can go. Your plants are no different.

Plant growth is poor when hindered by a lack of nutrients and inadequate soil structure. If there’s no space for roots to grow they can’t draw in what they need, even without nearby plants competing for resources.

You can use fertilisers to meet nutritional needs but soil improvers, which change the physical properties of soil, are equally important. There’s no point pouring more nutrients into your garden if they’re not reaching where they need to!

The best soil structure is porous - loose enough to allow water and air to flow through the soil while holding enough moisture to maintain plant growth. It must also anchor your plants.

Garden soil can vary from one extreme to another, from clay to sand. Plants grow better in soil which has the characteristics of a mix of clay and sand. Different soil improvers are suitable for specific types, e.g. gypsum can help break up clay soil, while bentonite and kaolin clay can help turn sand into soil.

However, there is a soil improver that is suitable for all types - mature compost which looks and feels like crumbly soil.

Mature compost gives plant roots the space they need to truly flourish - roots, air and water can move through it easily. It also increases the soil’s water-holding capacity, so you can water plants less often in summer.

You can make compost at home. With the right system, your organic product is mature, nutrient-dense and acts like a slow-release fertiliser to ensure more nutrients are available to plants where it counts.

Mature compost has a unique ability to both improve and enrich your soil straight after application. It is a super all-purpose soil enhancer.

So go the extra yard to create the space your plants need - and watch your backyard blossom!