To ready a site for planting it is essential the ground is prepared first to make sure the soil can be easily dug into to quickly plant up using a trowel. This involves removal of any existing vegetation, roots, stumps and stones then turning the soil over to aerate and clear obstacles.

Overview

• Clear soil surface- Rake off loose debris.

• Weeding and removal- Remove weeds and undesired plants completely.

• Below ground tidy- Dig over and remove roots etc, until soil is clear and easy to dig down to the depth of one spit.

• Soil conditioning- Dig in the compost using one bag per meter squared.

Initial prep work

Border prep differs depending on the site. Generally the first step is to prepare the surface of the soil ready for digging over and then conditioning.

This firstly involves raking off any loose leaves and debris from the surface leaving just weeds and vegetation growing.

Next the remaining weeds and existing undesired vegetation must be removed must be dug up using a claw or spade, ensuring all roots are removed completely.

After the surface is cleared begin to dig over the soil removing roots, stones and other obstacles to the depth of a spade head (known as a spit) until the soil is free of debris and roots.

Conditioning

After the initial prep is complete and the soil can be easily turned over in the border it’s ready for soil conditioning. This involves digging in organic material (compost) to improve the nutrient level of the soil.

The organic material also improves the crumb structure of the soil. The crumb structure is called such because if you pick up a hand full of soil it’ll resemble bread crumbs (or at least a good soil for planting does.) A soil with a good crumb structure will also have a good pore structure. The pore structure defines the large and small pores that exist between and within soil crumbs. A good pore structure helps with the aeration of the soil and also makes more of the water in the soil available to the plants. This will ensure the best chance of the plants will have the conditions they need to establish.

We normally apply organic matter at a ratio of one 70l bag of compost to 1 square meter at the depth of one spit but it will depend on the condition of the soil.

We usually use spent mushroom compost as our organic matter of choice because it good quality and relatively cheap. Spent mushroom compost is not made of mushrooms. It’s a by-product of the production of mushrooms. Mushroom compost is slightly acidic.

Soil types and drainage

Drainage is an extremely important factor determining the success of a plants survival and establishment. Too fast draining soil will mean water will drain past the roots before they can be absorbed by the plants. Too slow draining soil will mean water lingers around the roots for too long causing rot and drowning the plants. By digging over the soil and adding conditioner the water that is available to the plants is improved.