| Perhaps the single most important element in an | | | | analyze your soil you'll need a PH metre (which you |
| organic garden is the soil. The soil is the foundation in | | | | may remember from science lessons from school - |
| which all your plants and flowers will grow and the | | | | though the memory may be a little fuzzy...). Once |
| richer and softer the soil you use is, the healthier your | | | | you've got a reading you can then judge what kind of |
| plants will be when they grow - and healthier plants | | | | soil you have. If it's between one and seven then you |
| means bigger flowers, brighter colours and less death | | | | have acidic (or 'ericaceous' ) soil such as peaty soil; if |
| (which we're trying to avoid in case you hadn't figured | | | | it's exactly seven then it's neutral for example clay soil; |
| that out). | | | | or if it's more than seven up to fourteen it's an alkaline |
| To an extent the type of soil you grow your plants in | | | | or 'limey' soil, such as chalky soil. Again this will affect |
| will be determined by where you live and what the | | | | the type of plants and flowers that you'll be able to |
| natural composition of your garden is like. This really is | | | | grow, for example rhododendrons will only grow in |
| a matter of luck and different soils will be harder to dig | | | | ericaceous soil, so make sure you choose your plants |
| in and will better suited to different types of plants. | | | | appropriately. Fortunately however, if you really want |
| Different types of soil will naturally include more sand, | | | | to grow plants that are against your type of soil, you |
| grit, bark chips, clay or perlite. The idea however is to | | | | can surround your plants with materials of the opposite |
| have soil that's supportive and that holds moisture and | | | | properties to counteract this effect. For example, if |
| you can add extra sand, grit, compost etc as you see | | | | your soil is too alkaline (or limey) you can add pine bark |
| fit to this end. You can also lay pine bark etc on top of | | | | mulch around the plant when you plant it in order to |
| the soil afterward to help it retain moisture (which will | | | | provide it with an acidic drink and to neutralize some of |
| also be broken down to add minerals to the soil but | | | | the alkaline. Next time we'll look at the most important |
| more on that later) or stones and pebbles. | | | | ways you can improve the quality of your soil - by |
| Different soils also have different PH values with some | | | | adding compost and (organic) fertilizer. |
| being more acidic and others more alkaline. In order to | | | | |