So don't replace the soil instead of improving it!
Informative article courtesy of Garden Portal
Soil replacement has always been a popular way for garden owners to improve their soil. But is there a better solution? Of course there is!
Whether you have a natural garden or a sustainable garden, somehow soil replacement is not compatible with a pro-environment approach. Obviously there are exceptions, but to put it the other way round, in the long run we are much better off improving the soil than replacing it. Any kind. Because we never know what will actually arrive.
When should we change the soil?
In the last 20 years, I have been to one garden where a soil change was really justified. It wasn't the soil that was replaced, though, but the topsoil that came in to replace the piles of grit and rubbish. It is not a question of soil replacement, but of a necessary process when the foundations were so far behind that it would have been a waste of time. Nor was it possible to push the spade down without stumbling over buried waste.
Soil replacement is justified here. But what about the average garden? Because most sustainable gardens we design have the average starting point.
Know your soil and learn how to help it!
The first step is always to know your soil. Well, not ukkmukkfukk! It's worth getting your soil tested and getting professional advice on this, because a wrong soil diagnosis will do more harm to yourself - and your wallet - than good.
From the moment we got to know the soil: sandy soil, brown forest soil? Chernozem or clay soil? Each one has to be treated differently. Different plants will thrive in it. Of course, a leonartide-based humus supplement can help a lot here too, but just knowing the basics is a trump card in our hand so that we can go to the nursery with more confidence when buying plants.
Why is soil replacement impractical?
Soil replacement is impractical because replacing the entire soil of a garden involves a lot of excavation and a lot of expense in most cases.
Moreover, we never know what soil and with it what weed flora they will bring into our gardens.
An expert eye can also find your way around a garden from the weeds. Since weeds are typically found in specific soils and even in specific landscapes - except for the very invasive ones - they can be a good starting point.
In addition, the roots, especially of trees, are much deeper than the fresh soil layer achieved by soil replacement, so the only ones that benefit from soil replacement are the shallower-rooting perennials. But this is not a long-term solution.
Although there are many super-preparations on the market, it is much more effective to work with and improve the existing soil, which already has the natural mycorrhizal systems that are essential for plants to grow ideally. Of course MikoMax can support this too!
