Garden Tips
You can make your gardening a much more rewarding experience by following these simple steps so that your soils will be healthier, plants will grow stronger and your gardens can start to look after themselves.
PLAN YOUR GARDEN
When starting a new garden there are many factors to consider when deciding a location. Some factors being: drainage, shade time, accessibility, plant type, etc. The growth of plants are affected by their surroundings.
Take time to consider the reasons for and against a particular setting. You should identify plants that best fit the type of sunlight you have throughout the year: full sun, half sun or shade.
Once you have settled on where you want your new garden to be in your landscape or to refresh an existing garden, it’s time to “condition” the soil.
CONDITIONING FOR SOIL STRUCTURE
Good soil structure is achieved when a number of elements are brought into balance. Garden Mate provides most of the required elements for this to be accomplished.
Soil texture is determined by the ratios of sand, silt, clay and organic matter in the soil. Importing soil for new garden beds is okay, but problems can still arise.
By using Garden Mate from the very beginning of garden bed preparation, you will find your own soil is able to produce high quality plants. It depends on whether you want an “instant” garden or you are happy to take a month or two to establish your garden.
Use Garden Mate to “condition” your soil, preferably 3-4 weeks before planting into a new garden bed. When planting into established garden beds use Garden Mate at planting. On established plants, spread over soil out to the drip line of the plant and water in.
Soil texture affects how well nutrients and water are retained in the soil. “Conditioning” your soil with Garden Mate prior to planting will allow pH adjustment very similar to applying Lime. Garden Mate replaces the need for Gypsum or Dolomite as it is more effective, and with the benefit of adding important minerals and trace elements.
However, there are a number of other advantages such as increased earthworm and microbe activity (they just love Garden Mate). In clayey soils, increased water penetration and better drainage will occur. In sandy soil, the leaching of moisture and nutrient will be reduced, so they are more available to your plants.
Another advantage is that the plants root system will be more robust which allows the plant to search a wider area of soil for nutrients and moisture. This means the plant will be healthier and better able to tolerate adverse conditions.
You are now ready to plant. All shrubs and trees (including fruit trees) enjoy Garden Mate being placed in the hole when they are planted. This ensures good drainage and encourages the roots to grow out into the surrounding soil.
