The Natural Gardener
It’s action stations here as my new raised beds have been filled, ready for planting, with a third waste soil from the old garden, topsoil and then a covering of compost.
It’s that exciting time of year – the weather’s (slightly) better, the garden is weeded and empty, inviting beds are just crying out for some lovely plants. I want to get it right first time – not necessarily with plant choice or siting; this is often an ever-changing case of trial and error and no-one’s garden is ever finished.
No, what I want to get right from the off is the overall health of my garden – glorious billows of blooms this summer that hum with bees and butterflies alongside lashings of healthy fruit and veg. It’s altogether quite possible, but I need to get back to basics. The best way to grow beautiful, healthy and productive plants is to improve the soil they grow in. Boost essential nutrients, improve it naturally and you’ll save a whole heap of cash on extra fertilisers, which can then be popped in the plant-buying piggy bank (always a win-win situation). Adding plant fertilisers is just a quick fix that only feeds your plants directly, not the soil, so you’ll have to keep forking out for them in liberal quantities every year. It’s simple: for a healthy, thriving garden, feed the soil, not the plant. Based on good reviews (including one from Terry Walton), convincing science and intrigue, I’m using an extra product on my beds this year. REMIN volcanic rock dust, made from crushed rock from Scotland, boosts soil fertility by increasing its minerals and trace elements, needed to boost plant health, yield and crop flavour. It’s a sustainable product and isn’t a fertiliser, but rather a base source of health-giving micronutrients. Like mycorrhizal fungi, it can increase biological activity around roots and defend plants against disease. It has its sceptics, of course. But it was reported last year that, on a wider scale, research shows rock dust used on agricultural fields can help slow the climate crisis by storing carbon and boosts crop yields. In fact, it’s a bit of a wonder product on the humble plot, too, with lots of uses: it can be used to topdress soil in beds at any time of year (unless it’s windy or frozen), and can be used on lawns and in tubs and hanging baskets. Mix it in your compost heap or add it to shop-bought bags of compost. I’ve sprinkled a small handful in my wormery; the worms love it! So, watch this space – I hope to have healthful, prosperous plants in no time.
Buy rock dust from a number of online stockists. For more information visit www.reminscotland.com.