Soil Health

Average time to read: 1.4 minutes

You cannot talk about gardening without having a conversation about soil. Soil is alive. In a natural ecosystem, there is a cycle of growth and decay that keeps soil fed and fertile. Your garden is not a natural ecosystem so arguably, your most important task as a gardener is caring for your soil. 

If you are growing vegetables in pots or smaller containers, your soil should be replaced every year. For flowers and herbs, you can get away with only replacing about a quarter of the soil in your pots each year.

Use good quality potting soil from a reputable supplier. Lesser-quality soils can have poor structure, harbour weeds, disease, pests, or simply lack good balanced nutrition. However, even the best potting soils are not likely to contain enough nutrients for vegetable plants, which are considered “heavy feeders.” You’ll need to supplement their nutrition with fertilizer. 

Fertilizers are either organic or chemical and both have their pros and cons. We recommend heading into your local garden centre or nursery to learn about their selection. Staff at garden centres and nurseries are often very knowledgeable. Talk with them about your garden and your goals. They should be able to recommend a few products to suit your needs. Always read and follow directions carefully. Over-fertilizing can damage or kill plants. 

If you are working in raised beds or in-ground gardens, you’ll be planting into the same soil each year. Protect it by rotating plant families and mulching during the growing season. Then, top-dress with compost and cover the area with organic matter in the fall. No need to turn it under. As it breaks down, soil-dwelling organisms will incorporate the organic matter into the soil, restoring and enriching its fertility. Some good choices for organic matter are mulched leaves, straw, or untreated wood chips. Anything that hasn’t been incorporated into the soil during the winter can be gently pulled back when it’s time to plant in spring. This healthy, nutrient-rich soil should be able to supply your plants with all the nutrition they need.

***

Links to all our favourite products can be found here.