One of the earliest lessons to learn when taking up vegetable gardening is to understand the soil you are using. The garden of the property I lived in before my current residence, the soil was so hard and dry that it took a mattock to dig a hole large enough to plant something. When I did manage to bore a hole and plant something, more often than not, the plant would die due to not being able to expand and trenghten its roots. The soil was pure clay and if it wasn’t clay I was trying to break through it was bits of house where the builders had simply dumped their rubbish and thrown down top soil to cover their mess. Clay soil withholds moisture and the roots of the young seedlings do not have the strength to break down the soil and fully establish themselves.

Good nutrient heavy soil is the key to strong healthy plants. Before you go off to the nursery and spend your hard earned money on seedlings, take the time to understand the conditions that these precious little investments will grow in. One of the main criticisms of commercial farmers is that their crops are poor in taste and nutrients. The main reason for this is that the farmers are not only fighting against intense competition to produce crops, but that they do not have the available space or the surplus money to invest in the soil. This also translates into the typical backyard where the content of the “soil” is made up of 90% mineral residue and 10% organic matter. These growing conditions will produce not only weak plants, that are prone to disease, but also very little harvest.

One of the best ways to create the best conditions for plant life, and save your back is to build a ‘no-dig’ or raised bed for your produce. Raised beds are at an advantage because you fill them with the soil you want. If you start off with good soil, your return of harvest will not only be quicker but also your enthusiasm to continue growing will be fed. (There is nothing worse than slogging your guts out for a whole weekend, for no return from your seedlings – I speak from experience!).

So how can we improve the soil?

Compost: Food scraps, leaves, grass cuttings and shredded paper when broken down in the soil improve the structure and composition of the soil. My wife and I have a small bin in the kitchen that we put all our veggie and fruit peelings in, along with egg-shells and tea bags. Each week I take them out to the worm farm and let them do their magic. Worm farms are an amazing investment. I have about 1000 worms in a tub which they break down anything organic (basically, no meat products), creating the most amazing compost (otherwise, known as castings). Once these scraps are broken down, simply dig it into the soil. Other alternatives to creating quick soil improvement is to buy a sack of Dynamic Lifter and blood and bone, sprinkle a few handfuls on your beds, dig and water it in and watch your plants multiply and produce amazing harvests.

Drainage: Water your plants too much and they will drown, water them too little and they will wilt and die. A good way to test the drainage of your soil is to dig a hole and pour some water into it. If the water drains away quickly your soil is mainly sand. If the water is still there a few hours later, your soil is mainly clay. Each of these soils needs some work. Each needs organic matter. Adding organic material will improve the drainage and nutrient level because worms and other insects will aerate the soil and improve conditions for the root systems of your plants.

Green Manure: The more you plant and dig the soil, the more nutrients are lost. Soil needs feeding, just like humans need food to fully function. Chemical fertilizers may provide nutrients in the short term, but no organic matter. Without organic matter added to the soil on a regular basis, your soil will return to the condition in which you first found it. Green manure is an excellent way of either kick-start the process of improving your soil, or revitalizing the soil after a harvest, before sowing your next crop. Green manures are basically cover crops that are grown with the intention of turning them back into soil. They are used to break up compacted soils and release nitrogen through their root system. Popular choices for green manure are ryegrass, barley and clover.

When I started my vegetable patch I got hold of an organic mushroom compost from a local nursery. (This is what I use in the kits that I sell). The results from this soil type are amazing and instant. I have not had anything wilt or die from using this type of soil and my back is still strong and in good order!