Soil preparation tips for organic gardeners

Alison Patel writes: Preparing soil in the spring time is an essential job for gardeners who want to make the most of their plants in the summer.

That is according to organic gardener Tom Petherick, who has suggested that tending to soil should be seen as a "priority".

Writing in the Telegraph, he explained that organic gardeners prefer to leave their soil "living and therefore in need of feeding and protection".

He explained that soil should not be too cultivated - or turned over - but that green-fingered enthusiasts should add surface compost and mulch instead.

The good news for organic gardeners is that they do not need to dig into the ground but should just give it "a light forking" he said and then remove any unwanted weeds and make the ground level.

Compost, he suggested, is an ideal component for keeping soil healthy but gardeners should never add objects that are too large, such as branches, as it will create space where the rain can get in.

He said that this will end in a compost heap that is made of "putrid black slime".

Likewise, he said it is not good to have an abundance of wood as it takes time to decompose.

The golden rules for good compost, he said, are to ensure objects are small in size, are not added in large amounts and are mixed into the existing waste.

A compost bin will help to speed up the decomposition process, the Royal Horticultural Society suggested.

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