How to grow your own soil

Sounds a bit daunting but it isn’t that difficult. All you need are a few raw materials and four to six months.

Below is a series of photo’s that show the progression from a swamp which is what this situation was to a beautiful new rich soil full of worms and Organic Matter after one crop of Corn.

I chose this patch because it was impossible to grow anything apart from Rice! The soil was heavy and in a hollow that didn’t let the rain run away hence after a decent shower water would sit there for sometimes a couple of days.

This method will grow you a new soil for your Garden but it also raises the soil level which is less prone to water logging and every time you repeat the process the Organic Matter of the original soil improves and the crops you grow there will improve year after year.

Step 1;

Completely cover the soil with Lime and Rock Dust. In a wet or heavy soil, Lime is essential to open up the soil and let it breathe. Rock Dust is a great Natural raw Phosphorus Fertiliser, it slowly releases P into the soil and is a great soil conditioner in its own right. If you can’t get any (I use Cracker Dust, a rawer form of Rock Dust) then any Organic Powdered Fertiliser will do, Blood and Bone is a good substitute, however, make sure you use Lime. Water in.

Step 2;

Lay copious amounts of either newspaper or as I have here cardboard, this creates a layer that stops weeds and grass from growing through the Mulch that goes on later. The newspaper etc is also great Worm food and they will sniff it out from miles away, they will slowly consume it adding valuable Worm Castings to your new soil.

Step 3;

Spread a liberal amount of Animal Manure onto the newspaper/cardboard, I prefer Cow Manure as it is a good all-round Manure with a balance of Nutrients and solid Organic Matter Content, it is also soft so you don’t have to worry about any burning that you can get with fresh Chicken manure. If you use Chicken Manure don’t be quite so liberal with it, mix it with a bit of dry grass clippings to take the sting out of it.

Step 4;

Apply at least 100mm of partially composted Mulch, as in it is starting to turn dark rather than fresh out of the Lawn Mower or Mulcher,  add another light layer of Lime and water in.

If you have used a well-rotted Mulch then you can plant a crop straight into this, Corn is good as it will leave a lot of root system behind when you cut it, which also helps build Organic matter. The first crop does struggle a little but once it has been harvested what was Mulch is now a rich dark soil full of worms as the last photo shows. This photo was taken four months after the initial treatment and straight after the Corn was cut down. I am going to repeat the process because although the soil is now perfect I want a bit more height to give me more drainage.

Another option is to grow a cover crop in the first instance, this also helps with building a great soil, the crop is cut when mature and worked into the ground to break down. This does take longer but can be done over the winter so you have a rich fertile soil to plant out in the spring.

Be Happy,

Barry Click here for my Facebook Blog