Obviously, the first requirement is something to compost. Then the pile needs air, nitrogen, water, bacteria, and sometimes lime. There are a great many old wives’ tales about what can and cannot be used, but the rule is, in fact, very simple: anything that is entirely organic in origin can be composted, except for a […]
Monthly Archives: April 2020
I divide soil management into four phases: the first phase is testing the soil; the second involves the general soil conditioning and replacement of nutrients with organic matter; phase three involves the application of fertilizer; the fourth phase covers more specialized application of fertilizers for specific plant needs. If you have moved into an established […]
There are various cultivation techniques that you can employ to improve your particular soil. All soil types will benefit from the addition of bulky organic matter in the form of compost or manure or some other soil conditioner. This is the key to soil fertility, and a healthy, fertile soil is the basis of the […]
Soil management The ideal soil has a good crumbly structure, is rich in organic matter, drains well enough to prevent the topsoil becoming waterlogged in heavy rain, and is capable of providing the nutrients needed for healthy plant growth. The various soil types described on the left all have their own advantages and disadvantages. Each […]
The soil is the basic raw material of the gardener’s art. It should never be dismissed as a mere collection of mineral particles he soil is the basic raw material of the used to anchor roots, or worse still as “dirt.” It is much more than that. Certainly, its basic structure consists of rock particles […]
Natural methods of sustaining plant growth were never intended to support the kinds of demands we make on our gardens. The technique itself is perfect, but, to produce a good crop, we have to intensify it. The main ways of doing this are quite simple: feeding the soil and improving its texture; protecting seeds during […]
There is nothing about organic gardening. It is simply a way of working with nature rather mystical or magical than against it, of recycling natural materials to maintain soil fertility, and of encouraging natural methods of pest and disease control, rather than relying on chemicals. It is in fact far less involved than the methods […]