How to make the best soil for your plants

Get your gardening gloves out, because spring is in the air and it’s time to bring your garden back to life…starting with the soil.

The roots of a happy garden quite literally lie in the soil, as it turns out. Being a living ecosystem, soil needs to drink, breath, eat, digest and excrete, just like we do. According to Earth Probiotic, organic fertilisation and growth will happen naturally via a soil food web which consists of a hugely diverse system of bacteria, fungi, macro and micro organisms living in the soil that work together. All you need is three ingredients:

Feed with home-made compost

Compost provides air, water, organic matter, and microorganisms to soil, improves plant growth and keeps insects, plant diseases and weeds at bay. And it’s really easy (and free) to make yourself!

• You just need a source of carbon and nitrogen. Carbon comes from brown cardboard (wine/beer boxes or toilet/paper towel roll inners) torn up and soaked in water. Nitrogen comes from food waste (veggie peels work best), plant trimmings and some fresh grass clippings.
• Roughly place the two components in layers, lightly water and turn regularly. A ratio of 1 part nitrogen and 2 parts carbon is a good balance.
• Your compost will be ready in about 8 weeks and can be used as required.

Protect and support with mulch

Make mulch using straw, fruit pips or shredded garden waste. Cover any exposed, well-fed soil with a good layer of mulch to help protect the soil from extreme weather conditions while encouraging the food web to thrive below the surface. The extra layer will decompose over time, providing more nutrients for the soil.

Stay away from chemicals

Chemical fertilisers contaminate our land and water and are a major cause of diseases in humans and extinction in a number of plant and animal species. Natural, chemical-free soil will allow plants to grow the way Mother Nature intended and create a safe, healthy space for insects, birds and bees.