🌱 Soil & Compost
Soil pH: why it matters and how to adjust it
A complete guide to soil pH: what it is, why it blocks nutrients such as iron, how to measure it,…
Soil and compost: improve your garden soil and make your own fertiliser
Soil is the part of the garden you see the least and that matters the most. The texture of the soil - how much sand, silt and clay it has - decides how much water it holds, how often you need to feed and which plants will thrive. The good news: almost any soil can be improved with the right amendment and some patience, and the universal amendment is always the same: organic matter (compost, leaf mould, well-rotted manure).
In this section you'll find how to identify your soil type with home tests and which plants suit it; how to improve heavy clay soil or a sandy one that holds nothing; what soil pH is, why it matters (it locks or releases nutrients) and how to adjust it; what mulching is and how to apply it to save water and slow weeds; and how to make home compost in 5 steps, with the right ratio of green and brown material.
A garden built on good soil needs less watering, less feeding and has fewer pests and diseases. It's worth spending the first year improving the soil rather than buying plants: it's the investment that pays off most. Start by knowing your soil and, from there, everything else - watering, plant choice, feeding - is decided better.
Soil & Compost articles
🌱 Soil & Compost
How to make compost at home in 5 steps: a complete guide
A complete guide to making compost at home in 5 steps: which composter to choose, which materials…
🌱 Soil & Compost
Types of garden soil: how to tell which one you have and how to improve it
A complete guide to identifying your soil type with home tests (clay, sandy, silty, loam),…
Frequently asked questions
How do I know what type of soil I have?
The ball test: take slightly moist soil and squeeze. If it falls apart, it's sandy; if it forms a ball you can mould like plasticine and makes a ribbon when rubbed, it's clay; if it forms a ball that cracks and feels floury, it's silty or loam. The jar test (soil + water in a jar, 48 h to settle) gives you the exact layers of sand, silt and clay.
How do I improve heavy, compacted clay soil?
With plenty of organic matter (compost, leaf mould) dug in the first few years and then as an annual mulch; never work clay when wet (it compacts); add coarse river sand together with the organic matter (never on its own); avoid treading on the beds; and plant species that tolerate clay while the soil improves. It changes completely in two or three seasons.
What is mulching and what is it for?
It's covering the soil around plants with a layer of organic material (bark, straw, shredded prunings, compost) or mineral (gravel). It reduces evaporation (less watering), slows weeds, keeps the soil temperature stable, prevents rain crusting and, if organic, feeds the soil as it breaks down. It's one of the practices that improves a garden most for the least effort.
How long does home compost take?
Between 3 and 12 months depending on the method. Active compost (good green/brown ratio, wrung-sponge moisture, periodic turning and enough volume) can be ready in 3-4 months in summer. "Cold" compost, just piling up scraps without turning, takes 6 months to a year but needs zero work.
Why does soil pH matter?
pH determines which nutrients the plant can take up. In soil that's too alkaline (limy), iron and manganese lock up and chlorosis appears (yellow leaves with green veins); in one that's too acid, calcium and magnesium run short. Most garden plants prefer a pH of 6 to 7. Acid-lovers (blue hydrangeas, azaleas, camellias, blueberries) need pH below 5.5.
What can go in the compost and what can't?
Yes: fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, crushed eggshells, dry grass, leaves, shredded prunings, non-glossy paper and cardboard. No: meat, fish, dairy, oil, dog or cat faeces, very diseased plants, weeds with seed and material treated with weedkiller. Alternate layers of green material (moist, with nitrogen) and brown (dry, with carbon).