Gardens are like so many other things in life – you only get out of it what you put in. The groundwork is arguably the single most important step in setting up a new garden or maintaining an existing one. Even more important than choosing the right plants for your location is ensuring that your soil is in optimum condition. The best planting selection can only flourish if the soil is healthy, will hold sufficient moisture and contains the right nutrients.
Thankfully there is a wide variety of soil conditioners available that will enrich and improve your garden. Knowing which ones to use is the first important decision. If you select organically based products from reputable brands, you cannot go too far wrong. Well-composted organic soil conditioners contribute to the three most important attributes of a healthy soil. They improve soil structure, increase nutrient availability and, very importantly, they improve the soil's ability to hold moisture.
What are soil conditioners?
The term soil conditioner refers to any of a number of different products that are added to the garden with the aim of improving the soil and boosting its ability to support better and healthier plant growth. Most contain a combination of organic matter and mineral components. Many soil conditioners also incorporate a granular wetting agent to assist the penetration of moisture into the soil, and water crystals to keep water in the soil until it is required by the plants.
Typical soil conditioners include various types of animal manure, homemade compost from kitchen scraps and garden refuse and any of a number of commercially prepared planting composts and soil additives. A soil conditioner may be a compost dug into the soil prior to planting or it could be any material added to the soil's surface as mulch for incorporation into the soil as it decomposes
Why do you need them? The soil is as much a living ecosystem as the rest of the garden and it is important to maintain a balance to keep this ecosystem healthy. Over time, and as your plants grow, nutrients are used up or leach out of the soil and the organic matter in the soil breaks down. It is important to 'feed the soil' and replace these elements to maintain the balance. Whilst there are plenty of soluble and granular chemical fertilisers that will feed your plants directly, you can achieve a healthier and more sustainable result by feeding the soil and letting the plants take up nutrient as they need it.
A well-conditioned soil helps to protect your plants from the stresses of moisture and nutrient deficiencies. It achieves this not only by holding more moisture, but also by encouraging your plants to grow vigorous, deep root systems. An extensive root system is able to draw moisture from a wider area and from deeper within the soil in times of dry. Conditioning your soil and organically enriching it will help to provide your plants with all of the nutrients they need for strong healthy growth as well as flowering and fruiting. In addition, it introduces enzymes and micro-organisms that will help to break down nutrients already in the soil, making them available to your plants. A soil rich in organic matter has greater nutrient-holding capacity and is far less prone to leaching. It therefore requires less frequent applications of fertiliser.
Putting more effort into preparing the soil really pays off in the long run. Proper garden preparation is frequently overlooked yet is the easiest step towards a lower-maintenance garden. Putting a little more into soil conditioning will almost always equate to less demand for water, less to spend on fertilisers and fewer problems with pests and disease – a better result all round!
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