| Soil examination - free test! |
 Did you know that we offer a free soil test? -->>The correct soil gives you the best chance of achieving a successful, flourishing garden.
SOIL TESTING Plants need the correct acidity (pH) level and balance of nutrients in order to survive and flourish. It is therefore essential to find out how much lime there is in your soil in order to decide which plants are likely to thrive, which ones are worth trying or which plants to avoid entirely and also what nutrients your soil contains and how much. pH AND YOUR SOIL Soils are known as ’’sweet’’ if they are alkaline and ’’sour’’ if they are acid. Values of ph7 indicate a neutral soil, above pH7 an alkaline soil and below pH7 an acid soil. The pH preference list gives the ideal pH level for over 400 plants. If you want to grow plants not suited to the pH of your soil you can change the pH as mentioned later. pH affects the availability of plant foods – nitrogen, phosphorus, potash – and the spread soil borne diseases so you should check it regularly – at least twice a year – because nature tends towards the acid side.  PLANT FOODS There are three major plant foods which are essential to plant growth – nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potash (K). These are often expressed as NPK. Nitrogen gives plants their dark green colour and helps the growth of leaves and stems, phosphorus encourages blooming and potash stimulates flowering and makes fruit tastier. WHEN TO TEST Testing your soil should be a matter of course when preparing beds (Autumn), before planting out (Spring) and periodically during the growing season. It is also essential if you are moving into a new garden. Also, if you feel that your plants are not growing as well as they should a soil test may help. A soil test will also help apply fertilisers more efficiently. LAWNS For new lawns a fibrous loam, rich in humus, with a ph between 6 and 6.5 is best. Do not add lime to established lawns unless the pH is very low. Many natural dressings for grass tend to reduce pH so nitro-chalk is useful – apply at the rate of 34g/m2.  FEEDING RECOMMENDATIONSAdequate reserves of plant food should be available in the soil before planting out vegetables, preparing a seed bed, laying a lawn, making a flower bed (annuals, perennials etc.) or planting shrubs. Therefore to make up any deficiencies apply the quantity according to your test result. ORGANIC GARDENING You are also allowed for the use of organic treatment of the soil which gives you the choice to grow organically. For balanced feeding therefore it is essential to identify the sources which best match the plant food deficiencies in your soil. |
