Soil Health

Nematodes are tiny microscopic non-segmented round worms that are barely visible to the naked eye and which occur naturally in the soil. Some species of nematodes are pests which damage plant roots, while others are beneficial predators of pest insects

We tend to forget that our soil has a significant amount of animal, fungal and single celled life in it… but it is this very life that is essential in making available much of the nutrients that plants use. From

If you have sandy soil, you will be well aware of their difficulties in holding both water and nutrition. Gardeners who live in Perth are used to dealing with this issue, and every garden centre, soil and landscaping yard there

Soil… most people just think of it as dirt, something to grow a few plants in, and maybe something to play in when you are young. However, (healthy) soil is a living, breathing organism, vital for the health and well-being

A question which regularly gets asked at the nursery is “what do I do with my soil now I have removed the concrete?” The issues that arise with soil under large areas of concrete include compaction, hydrophobic soil, lack of

The pH of the soil is important in so far as certain elements, vital for plant function and growth, can only be accessed by the plant within a certain pH range. Outside this range the nutrients become “locked” by the

We are frequently asked about soil contamination by customers wanting to grow their own food. Soil in household gardens can sometimes contain elevated, unsafe levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium. This is something everyone should be concerned about, but it

There are a couple of significantly good things about clay soils: the tiny particles which are the building blocks of the clay soil are extremely good at holding onto both water particles and onto nutrients (high cation exchange capacity). This

We all know that using manure in the garden is a great way to improve the soil and provide nutrients to plants. But why is this? What is the best type? How much of the stuff should I be using?

Composting is a natural biological process, which converts wastes to rich organic humus. This process is carried out by organisms, both microscopic and larger, including bacteria, fungi, worms and insects. Apart from the obvious benefits that compost has in our