Organic soil care : Techniques

Introduction

A healthy soil is the basis for growing healthy plants and producing healthy food. Soil is a diverse ecosystem, teeming with worms, fungi, bacteria and other microscopic life forms - which create its structure and fertility. Organic methods of soil care concentrate on improving the diversity, and supporting the activity of, these creatures.

Guidelines

Organic soil care | Techniques

Best organic practice - the first choice

Get to know the soil you are working with.
See also:
- 'Know your soil' factsheet
Grow plants that suit the existing soil conditions in your garden. Where necessary, use organic methods to improve the existing soil, but don't try to change soil conditions too drastically.
Keep soil covered with growing plants, green manure cover crops, or an organic mulch. This protects the soil structure, and the creatures living there.
See also:
- Green manures factsheet
- Mulches: weed prevention and control factsheet
Grow green manures to improve soil structure and to recycle and add plant foods. This includes clover in lawns.
See also:
- Green manures factsheet
- Garden Organic Guide to Green manures
- The selection of green manure seeds available from the Organic Gardening Catalogue
Maintain humus levels, biological activity and soil fertility by applications of bulky organic materials in appropriate quantities and at the appropriate season.
See also:
- Composts and manures in the organic garden - factsheet
- Bulky organic materials guidelines
Recycle organic In this case 'organic' means of living origin kitchen and garden waste within the garden. Process it before use through a compost or leafmould heap where appropriate.
See also:
Use a Crop Rotation
See also:
- Our Crop rotation factsheet

Crop Rotation

Crop rotation is an essential soil management tool, for fertility and pest and disease control.

Briefly, crop rotation means not replanting the same type of plant, or another of the same family, in the same site for a period of years. It is most often used with annual vegetables, but the same principles can be applied to perennial fruit crops and other plants.

An interval of at least 4 years, or more between plants of the same family - or longer if necessary where a specific problem is identified
Include a nitrogen fixing green manure in a vegetable crop rotation
In a glass house, where a 4 year rotation may not be possible, pay particular attention to building and maintaining soil health.
Alternate fertility building crops with those that take a lot from the soil
Alternate weed suppressing plants with those that compete poorly with weeds

Never acceptable in an organic garden

Excessive quantities of nutrient rich manures and fertilisers.
Unnecessary digging, rotavating and other soil cultivations

On brownfield sites, or other areas where the soil may have been contaminated with toxic elements, have the soil analysed before growing food.

See also:

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