Many Paths Lead... to Soil Improvement

Many hobby gardeners extensively focus on how to improve their soil, because only with good cultivated soil in the garden can one achieve high yields later. The quality of soil primarily depends on its humus content. A significant improvement in garden soil can be achieved by regularly adding compost. Besides the nutrients it contains, a loose planting substrate is also a crucial prerequisite for successful gardening. There are many ways to enhance soil fertility and soil condition. The goal of all these measures is to promote soil life.

Stable manure, whether from horses, cows, or other farm animals, remains an excellent choice for fertilizing and improving soil. However, it primarily adds only nitrogen to the soil, so supplements with potassium and phosphorus are necessary. It's best to lightly dig in stable manure during autumn or winter. If you don't have a local farmer, you can use commercially available preparations based on stable manure, often sold in pellet form, to improve your soil.

The use of Effective Microorganisms (EM) is widespread in Asia. EM aren't fertilizers but rather fall into the category of plant fortifiers. Especially under unfavorable soil conditions, these living microorganisms can promote root development and plant growth. This type of soil improvement is increasingly being used, boosting plant vitality and helping them cope better with critical situations like drought stress. EM mixtures primarily consist of lactic acid bacteria, similar to those found in sauerkraut or fermented bread drinks. Preparations based on mycorrhizal fungi or Bacillus subtilis, as well as fermented kitchen waste (Bokashi), can also be used.

Green manuring (Gründüngung) introduces organic material to garden soil. Growing and tilling under green manure plants is particularly beneficial for intensively used soils. This method helps prevent growth disturbances caused by soil fatigue. When establishing a new garden, green manure counteracts subsoil compaction through its intensive and deep root penetration.

Robust pioneer plants like mustard, rapeseed, oil radish, and lupins are often used for green manuring. In practice, however, it's important to note that these brassicas should not be in too close rotation with cabbage crops. Under fruit trees, low-growing species with shallow roots, such as various clover types, are suitable for green manuring.

It's advisable to sow green manure in the vegetable garden when beds are no longer planted for the season. This protects the soil from drying out and erosion, while simultaneously better preserving soil fertility. The green manure plants absorb nutrients still present in the soil, preventing easily soluble nutrients from being leached away. Furthermore, the plant roots help loosen the soil, sometimes to a significant depth.

Most plants prefer a loose substrate and cannot tolerate waterlogging. Heavily clayey soils, in particular, need optimization in this regard. This can be achieved by adding open-pored granules. Perlite, for example, is a good option. These small white spheres are an additive often found in potting soil. Alternatively, lava granules can also be used to loosen the soil. Sometimes, this is offered cheaply in winter as a salt-free anti-slip grit. A particularly important task for improving soil is manual loosening. A sickle-shaped tool like the Sauzahn is well-suited for this.