Healthy soil tips by recycling household waste

Beginner level

Looking after your soil is a key part of becoming a successful gardener. After years of use, soil can sometimes need a helping hand topping up its nutrient stores. In this article, we look at some quick tips for feeding your soil using recycled household waste items to ensure your garden stays healthy and productive throughout the year.

Recycling is a key part of the Garden Ninja ethos when it comes to gardening. So I was pleased to hear from my good friends over at J.Parkers, one of the North West's oldest nurseries and online plant suppliers, about a number of recycling tips they had.

Here's the advice they have to help improve your soil with items you would otherwise throw away!

Healthy soil, healthy plants, healthy garden!

Dig a hole, bung in your plant and hope for the best is the mantra of many gardeners.

It’s a common misconception that plants will grow happily in any old soil, but plant expert Shannen Godwin from J.Parker’s insists, “Taking care of your soil is crucial for the success of your garden. Whether it's adding compost, checking pH levels, or incorporating organic matter, there are many ways to create a thriving environment for your plants to grow.”

Working on the premise that garden plants are only as good as the soil they’re grown in, you’ll be pleased to learn that improving your garden soil is ridiculously easy and an ideal method of recycling simple household waste products for free.

Garden Ninja holding flowers and smiling

Restock the garden larder

Like us, plants have different dietary requirements but nitrogen is the major nutrient that the majority of plants depend on for healthy growth.

It might be easier to think of your garden soil as a larder that needs regular restocking once your plants have used up all available nutrients.

Ideally, this should be done in spring or winter each year and if you don’t have the space or inclination to make a compost heap, here are some effective, quick-fix soil improvers you can use instead.

1. Leafy growth boosters

Coffee grinds are brilliant for improving soil structure and being rich in nitrogen will boost leafy growth. Used teabags are ideal too. Helping open up and add to the soils texture bringing more moisture retention and air.

Used coffee grinds from an espresso machine

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2. Poo power

If you live in a rural community, well-rotted farmyard manure is often given away for free. Again, high in nitrogen, spread a thick mulch (about 2.5cm) across the surface of your garden borders which should be ample to keep your plants motoring all year long. It also helps soil retain much-needed moisture in dry weather.

3. Change your soil acidity

Wood ash added to soil or planting holes is ideal for those with heavy clay or sandy soils who would like to grow acidic crops such as delicious Vitamin C-packed blueberries or gorgeous azaleas. It’s also pretty efficient at deterring slugs and snails when ringed about the base of vulnerable plants.

4. Recycle leaves and grass cuttings

Chopped leaves and grass cuttings can be spread over your garden borders from autumn to winter and will naturally rot down giving your plants a much-need energy boost as spring approaches.

Garden Ninja tying a bin bag for leaf mold

5. Human Wee: The multi-purpose fertiliser

Human urine may sound an unlikely, whiffy soil improver, however, it contains vital nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Simply dilute with equal amounts of water to reduce odour and apply at the base of plants for immediate benefits.

Summary

So there we go. Five ways to recycle household waste to enrich your soil and help close the loop in gardening! If you want more gardening tips, then make sure you bookmark this blog and subscribe to my Youtube channel for hundreds of free garden guides.