Gardening

As a professional gardener, I have encountered some beautiful and well structured soils in my time. As with most aspects of nature, there are plenty of mediocre and poor soils to maintain the overall balance. I’m not exaggerating to say that I’ve also brushed up against a few of these from time to time. From personal experience, I’m convinced that poor soils can be drastically ...more

Over the years, I’ve experienced only minor problems associated with inadequate soil drainage. This surprises several of my gardening colleagues since I have frequently worked in regions where rainfall exceeds evaporation and contributes to an elevated groundwater. In retrospect, I was fortunate to work on private estates where adequate garden drainage was designed and installed, ...more

It saddens me to admit that the prevalence of seriously problematic soils appears to have increased dramatically over the previous few decades. Despite the proximity of international tensions, the world seemed a considerably safer and altogether more stable environment when I started gardening in my teens and early twenties. Perhaps this misrepresents the reality. It might ...more

The concept of replacing soil nutrients with a range of organic soil amendments is a sound one. When I started gardening more than half a century ago, there was plenty of excitement surrounding the use of synthetic fertilisers and the various chemical treatments which promised to increase the fertility and manageability of the basic soil types. With the exception of a few traditionalists, ...more

Making compost from organic waste is an effective and environmentally sustainable means of improving your garden’s soil structure and fertility. Composting is a practical skill. However, achieving proficiency can prove challenging for novice gardeners. One helpful approach is to initially acquire some understanding of the role played by bacterial micro-organisms. A healthy ...more

The other night, I became frustrated with my football coverage so switched between documentary channels on the cable network. I managed to catch the second half of a program about earthworms. Prior to final credits, the narrator emphasized the significance of the earthworm’s contribution towards maintaining soil fertility. He then suggested that soil fertility was crucial ...more

The decision to use a particular type of fertiliser needs to be supported by some understanding of the preferred soil conditions and other requirements of the plants being raised. To grow properly, plants require a broad selection of nutrients. Ideally, these occur naturally and are directly available from soil or compost. The three macro or major nutrients: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus ...more

The best medium for growing healthy plants is a rich, loose, and fertile soil. Earthworms make a significant contribution by loosening the soil and providing plant nutrients in their droppings. When they burrow, worms aerate the soil to provide essential oxygen for bacteria, fungi, and other micro-organisms required for soil fertility. An earthworm can digest approximately ...more

There are several botanical and naturally derived substances which can be sprayed in the organic garden to control pests and disease. Widely used before the arrival of chemical products, several of the natural alternatives have become less fashionable and may be difficult to obtain. I first appreciated the benefits of natural garden sprays several years ago when I helped a ...more

In recent years, there has been a considerable shift away from the chemical approach to insect control. This is often explained in terms of the increasing cost of developing new formulations to combat elevated levels of resistance within several insect populations. At the same time, the accessibility of international travel combined with progressive reductions in agricultural ...more