5 ways to save your soil at home

In your own back garden, on a windowsill or on a shared allotment, growing your own (like vegetables, your favourite plants etc.) is the most environmentally-friendly way to get your food.

This helps in recycling of nutrients. But make sure to keep it covered, with plants, edible crops and cover crops.  

Don't leave your soil bare!

An easy way to boost soil organic matter is to apply compost - this will ‘feed’ your soil with a diversity of nutrients and microorganisms.

Fallen leaves and dead plants will add to soil organic matter too, as well as providing a home for insects and toher garden-dwelling creatures, so why not try leaving it a bit longer before sweeping up those leaves or weeding out your wilted annual bulbs?

Yes you heard it right!

Plants that pull nitrogen from the air help increase the fertility of your soils, while deep-rooting plants stop compaction, promote healthy soil structure, and draw up nutrients deeper in the soil for use by other plants. 

Cover crops such as legumes plant, white turnips, radishes and other species are rotated with cash crops to blanket the soil year-round and act as green manure that replenishes nitrogen and other critical nutrients. Cover crops also help suppress weeds.

Opting to support agroecological farming, like organic, in your local area means casting a vote for a way of is based on nourishing plants by building soil fertility naturally.

Raising awareness about the issue of soil degradation is a really important; let's keep growing this movement from the ground up! Share this information with friends and family, and help them to start saving their own soils at home too. 😊