Story: Soil Improvement With Ruck
Episode: 3
Presenter: Nigel Ruck
Air Date: 29th August 2020

Good soil is important for a good garden, providing all the necessary needs for healthy growth.

• The main components of soil are rock minerals, organic matter, air and water.
• The main types of soil are clay, loam, and silt with variations on the theme like a clay loam or sandy loam.
• Clay soils hold water and nutrients but can be slow to drain while sandy soils are the opposite, leaching nutrients and water quickly.
• The ideal soil in most cases is a fertile loam, with the perfect balance of everything.
• To assess your soil, grab a small handful and squeeze it in your hand. If there’s a lot of clay in there, it will behave like plasticine. If there’s a lot of silt in there, it will break up a lot more.
• Adding compost has huge benefits. It separates the clay particles,  opening air spaces and improving drainage, and adds much needed organic matter to sandy soils, improving nutrient content and water retention.
• Add a 5cm layer of Scotts Performance Naturals Soil Improver to your garden bed and fork through the top 10cm of soil.
• This will add organic matter, help alleviate compaction, retain nutrients in sandy soils, and add all sorts of beneficial microbes.
• It contains Performance Naturals Fertiliser, blood and bone, chicken manure, feather meal, seaweed bio stimulants and NatureN, a natural source of nitrogen that promotes rapid growth.

For more information, head to
https://www.lovethegarden.com/