Failing to prepare the soil before planting is one of the most common mistakes made by beginner gardeners. Don’t worry if you’ve done it you’re not alone! All it takes is a little time and effort and your soil will be extra fertile.
Here are a few simple tips to help you get your soil ready for a bountiful harvest this year!
Dig, lift and turn!
Follow this procedure and you can’t go far wrong. By loosening and turning the soil you are allowing more air to get to it which is essential for good root growth.
Add manure, fertiliser or compost to your topsoil…
Manure, fertiliser and compost are full of nutrients that make the growing medium far more fertile. Here’s a post we wrote on improving your compost.

Add ‘good’ bacteria
Using a probiotic soil improver that will populate the soil with ‘good’ bacteria. This will have a massive effect on the success of your plants. Good bacteria also creates a force-field around your plant’s roots which protects from diseases.
Give it time…
Spend two or three weeks preparing your soil. Turn it over and leave for a week then add manure fertiliser or compost. Leave it for another week then add a probiotic soil treatment and give it one more week till planting. This should give the ‘good’ bacteria and nutrients time to establish in the soil.

Prepare for next year
When all is said and done and the season is over, it’s time to prepare for next spring. Dig, lift and turn your soil and then add a probiotic soil improver to condition it. This should also compost any plant roots and debris left over.