Replenishing the soil

Replenishing your soil regularly is the single most important thing you can do as a vegie grower. When you commit to this routine, you are rewarded with fertile, living soil that produces bountiful harvests of organic vegetables packed with the nutrients that make our bodies thrive.
The best thing about the process is it doesn’t have to be backbreaking work. In fact, the less you disturb the soil, the more productive it becomes, and the more you come to understand what good soil actually is. All you have to do is keep turning up. And that part’s easy, because once you start seeing the results, building soil and growing food become wonderfully, helplessly addictive. It’s not about feeding plants – it’s about feeding the soil itself, specifically the army of worms, microbes and fungi living there.

PHIL’S TOP TIPS FOR FEEDING THE SOIL

• Homemade compost – apply every 6-12 months to every bed.
• Organic fertiliser – apply monthly to hungry crops.
• Liquid feeds – a blend of fish emulsion and seaweed extract; apply fortnightly to seedlings and leafy greens to give them a kick along.
• Rock minerals – apply every six months or so to build mineral reserves.
• Zeolite – a porous volcanic mineral that grabs hold of moisture and nutrients, and releases them gradually.

For much more advice on replenishing your soil for tip top crops, get your copy of our September issue – out now!
Image: iStock