Soil contains living material that requires the right structure and organic material to provide food for plants.

If the structure of the soil tends towards a loam of about 20-50% sand, silt and 20 - 40% clay with a pH between 6 and 7.5, then this suitable for a high proportion of plants.

Otherwise an application of a mulch of sand and horticultural grit for clay, or clay and horticultural grit for sand, is required to improve plant growth.

If an annual mulch of organic material ( Spent Mushroom Compost, Cow Manure, Horse Manure does contain weed seeds and should only be used under hedges or ground-covering trees/shrubs) is applied of 100mm (4”) thickness to the soil, then the living material in the soil can continue their role of feeding the plants. This mulch will stop the ground drying out due to wind or sun having direct access to the ground surface. The annual loss of organic matter from soils in cool humid climates is about 6lbs per square metre.

If there is also a drip-feed irrigation system under the mulch (which is used for 4 continuous hours a week - when there is no rain that week from April to September), then the living material can get their food delivered in solution or suspension.

If the prunings from your garden are shredded (or reduced to 4” lengths) and then applied as a mulch to your flower beds or hedges, followed by 0.5” depth of grass mowings on top; this will also provide a start for improvement of your soil. The 0.5" layer can be applied again after a fortnight; when the aerobic composting stage has been completed during the summer.

Application of Seaweed Meal and other chemicals required to replenish what has been used by the plants in the previous year for application in Spring are detailed in the How are Chemicals stored and released from Soil? page.

You normally eat and drink at least 3 times every day to keep you growing, healthy and active; plants also require to eat and drink every day. Above 5 degrees Celcius plants tend to grow above ground and below 5 degrees Celcius they tend to grow their roots underground.