Moisture & Mulch

Its almost impossible not to mention these two topics in the same breath! A great deal has already
been written about both, but it is still worth remembering that mulch is the most effective way to
keep moisture in your soil. You can choose from a wide range of mulch materials, but remember that
it is very important to apply a generous deep layer of mulch.
Dont be tempted to spread it too thin. If your garden provides you with lots of prunings throughout
the year, invest in a shredder and make your own supply of mulch to add to your garden the
ultimate in garden recycling! Mulching also acts to supress weeds, keep soil temperature stable and
stimulate microbial activity, meaning less work for gardeners. Mulching should be considered an on-
going soil conditioning process, and is as essential in the garden as pruning and weeding.
Click here for a great read on Meaningful Mulching!
Natural Soil Improvers
Generally speaking, plants grown in a healthy, well-balanced soil will have an increased resistance
to disease. A good garden soil is one that comprises approximately equal parts clay and sand and has
a high proportion of humus and organic matter distributed throughout.
Natural Fertilisers & Soil Conditioners
N = Nitrogen, P = Phosphorous, K = Potassium
Compost N.P.K. 1.4-3.5 : 0.3-1 : 0.4-2
Well made compost that contains a large number of ingredients from many different sources will
have adequate amounts of most essential major and trace elements. Compost, combined with any
animal manures produces the best and safest all purpose fertiliser, containing both major and minor
elements.
Animal Manures
Cow: N.P.K. 0.2-2.7 : 0.01-0.3 : 0.06-2.1
Sheep: N.P.K. 1-3 : 0.1-0.6 : 0.3-1.5
All animal manures provide valuable sources of nutritional elements for plant life. When combined
with compost as part of the composting process, the final material provides the best all purpose
fertiliser. When using manure straight on the garden, care should be taken that it is not too hot, i.e.
that it has been broken down or weathered sufficiently. Use of composted manures eliminates smells
and provides five times the nutrition as fresh manures.
Fowl Manure: N.P.K. 4-8 : 1.1-2 : 0.8-1.6
Is very high in nitrogen and phosphorus. Therefore, care must be taken that it is well rotted or
composted before applying it to the garden.
Dynamic Lifter: N.P.K. 3.2 : 2.6 : 1.3
An organic general fertiliser based on chicken manure, which is fully processed and sterilised. It is
suitable for every feeding situation and application encountered by the home gardener. It is easy to
use, non-burning and impurity free. It slowly releases nutrients into the soil as it breaks down.
Blood & Bone: N.P.K. 4.5 : 5 : 0
An excellent nitrogen and phosphorous fertiliser with a relatively high percentage of both major
elements.
Hoof, Horn, Hair & Feathers: N.P.K. 11-13 : 0.3 : 0
An excellent slow release high nitrogen fertiliser.
Bone Meal & Ground Burned Bones
An excellent source of phosphorus.
Seaweed Extracts: N.P.K. 0.5 : 0.1-0.2 : 0.1-1.9
There are several commercially available liquid fertilisers on the market, which are very beneficial,
particularly for establishing plants and as a tonic for unhealthy plants.
Fish Emulsions N.P.K. 9 : 2 : 6
These are organic liquid fertilisers.
Comfrey leaves
An excellent source of potassium. Use wilted leaves under grass clippings as a mulch around fruit
plants. It also makes an excellent compost activator.
Dolomite
A naturally occurring alkaline rock. It is a compound of calcium and magnesium carbonate and
excellent when used to neutralise acid soils.
Gypsum
Used to break up the solid mass of clay into a more crumbly structure that can be worked on with
compost, mulches and other high humus content materials. Gypsum also contains lots of calcium and
sulphur, which are two major plant nutrients.
Wood ash
Scattered in layers in the compost heap, they will do the job of lime in sweetening the whole mass.
Leaf mulch
Although leaf litter is not high in nutrients, it has a very important role in the garden, creating
within the soil a crumbly (friable) texture, which allows good water retention without water logging.
Wherever there is leaf mulch, earthworms will abound. The more worms, the healthier the soil,
which is one of our most important natural resources.
Dont Get Too Wet!
Whatever your soil type, good drainage is essential for healthy plants. Of course, if you have light
sandy soil, the drainage is probably too good! This is where the use of compost will greatly reduce
rapid moisture loss, and improve the soils capacity to retain water, which is really important in
these times of water restrictions. Heavy soils also benefit from this process, but some gardens may
need more work than others! If you have a brand new house and a bare block of land which only
offers compacted clay and subsoil, dont lose heart; compost can help!
Dont be tempted to plant straight into compacted clay, as very few plants are tough enough to
handle it. Compacted fine clay particles dont allow water to drain away, so winter rains will cause
the roots of plants to rot, and the hot summer sun bakes the clay as hard as concrete! Adding
compost and mulching will help improve this soil, allowing water retention and drainage as the
organic matter breaks down and mixes with the heavy clay soils.
In addition to a composting and mulching routine, some people opt to import new topsoil into their
gardens. The best type of topsoil is a dark sandy loam, rich in organic matter to hold moisture but
with enough coarse particles to allow good drainage. So if you need to buy topsoil, this is a very
good investment. An important tip when establishing new garden beds is to avoid compaction of the
topsoil before planting, although it is important to rake the soil evenly to ensure removal of air
pockets. The soil will settle naturally, especially after watering, so you may even find it necessary to
top up the levels with extra soil after a few days.
Dont forget to add compost to the soil regularly to encourage lots of worm activity and guarantee
excellent drainage!
But why is this so important?
Under the current climatic (and political) conditions, it is unlikely we will ever live in a time without
water restrictions again. By developing water wise gardens and adopting water capture and re-use
behaviours such as rainwater and greywater usage, the need to irrigate our gardens with drinking
quality water is reduced. While plant choice and groupings, environmental conditions and garden
micro-climates are all important aspects of a water sensitive garden, a healthy soil is the most
important feature of a sustainable, water wise garden.
Healthy soils with high organic matter content require less water, little to no additional fertiliser and
are less likely to change structure and performance during long-term irrigation with greywater.
Plants in healthy soils will be more vigorous, robust, and less prone to attack from pests and
diseases, saving gardeners time and money. In turn, the environment is spared the damaging affects
of prolonged fertiliser and pesticide usage a great result for us, and future generations.