Soils ain't soils..

Planning some planting this Autumn?

Plants need three things to grow: water, sun and soil.  Most West Australian soil is low in nutrients and some even repels water so it is important to prep your bed before you plant.

Rich soil full of organic matter and worms will give your plants everything they need to grow, retain moisture and help fight infection and insect attack. Your soil needs will partly be determined by the garden itself as well as what you’re planting – so make sure you’ve got your head wrapped around those things to start. 

Ways to improve your soil:

Option 1: Buy soil

You can buy bags of soil from garden centres or get it trucked in from landscaping suppliers. If you go with this option, be sure to check the quality of the soil before committing to buy it. This is the quickest option, but be mindful as it can also be the most expensive. 

Important tip ** When working with soil, compost and potting mixes, it’s vital to remember that they contain living organisms such as fungus, spores and bacteria. If inhaled, ingested or introduced into the bloodstream, these can be responsible for ailments such as Legionnaires’ disease or tetanus.  Wearing gloves, a face mask and sturdy footwear will protect your health while enjoying your soil.

Option 2: Composting

Compost is the best way of adding quality organic matter to your soil (and remove food waste from landfill at the same time) and can easily be done at home. Check out our composting ‘how to guide’ for everything you need to know about composting like a pro. If you don’t have space for a compost bin, or want to work your way up to it, there’s still plenty you can do!

Create a worm tube

This is basically a food home delivery system for worms (the best soil improvers in the business!). Drill some holes in a bucket or pipe and bury in your garden bed and top up with kitchen scraps. More detailed instructions can be found here.

Pre-chewed worm food

If you only have a small amount of vegetable scraps and a good food processer, you can put your scraps and egg shells into the blender. Add a little bit of water to dilute the slurry and pour directly onto your garden.

Option 3: Use soil improvers

You can buy manure, fertiliser, compost, soil wetting agents and all kinds of nutrients to add to your soil to improve its quality. If you don’t know where to start, get a friend with a green thumb to have a look at your soil or chat to someone at your local garden centre.

Investing in your soil really pays off. We hope you enjoy getting your hands dirty! We’d love to hear about how your garden grows! Tag the Crunch&Sip Team in your socials Facebook and Instagram.