Building Organic Soil for Containers

Organic gardening is about growing food without using artificial chemicals. Most plants will get their nutrients from the soil. As organic gardeners we can’t put artificial chemicals into the soil so we need to find other ways to make sure that there is enough food for the plants we grow. It’s a simple idea and quite straightforward to actually do.

 A small space does not mean that you cannot grow your crops but you need to be aware that you will have to be vigilant and consistent in order to get the best from your plot. To give you some idea of what is possible I’ll tell you about my garden. I have a small section at the bottom of a hill with quite a large house on it. The soil is mostly heavy compacted clay and large parts of the garden are in almost total shade. I have a deck above the carport which gets most of the sun. When I started organic gardening I realised that I needed to use the deck area in order to give the plants the light that they need. Using pots, buckets, homemade planters and anything else I can get my hands on I have converted about 8 square metres of this deck into my primary growing area. In this tiny space I currently have; tomatoes, cucumbers, radish, spring onions, strawberries, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, chives, parsley, lettuce, red onions, garlic, capsicum, jalapeno chilli, chard, potatoes, mint, oregano, basil, chick peas, snapdragons and marigolds. The yields are not huge but I do regularly feed my family.

So, given that some might consider my plants a little overcrowded, I have to make special efforts with the soil. Soil is one of the three basic requirements of the growing plant (the other two being sunlight and water). My plants are healthy so I must have things about right.

I spent quite some time reading gardening books and surfing the net looking for information about soil before I took the plunge and started creating my own mix. What follows is my basic recipe but you will probably have to adjust it to suit your own available resources and climate.

Get a large sack. I use an old woolsack, this being New Zealand there are lots available cheaply or even for free. But any large clean sack will do. You could even use a bucket or a clean rubbish bin just for mixing. Put in four shovels full of well rotted compost. Then two shovels of well aged manure. I use horse manure as my niece keeps horses and I have access to it cheaply and easily, but chicken, sheep, cattle or deer manure is also very good. Don’t be tempted to use cat or dog manure as it smells bad and can possibly carry disease for both your plants and for you. A couple of shovels of worm castings (include some worms if there are plenty in your worm farm) a shovel full of coffee grounds and half a shovel of wood ash. The nutrients are now in place but you need something for them to grip to. I add two shovels of my clay soil and two of river sand to help break down the clods. If your soil is sandy already don’t worry about the river sand and just add your own garden soil. Hold the top of the sack closed and shake, kick and roll the mix together. Imagine your boss, your bank manager or that traffic cop who gave you a ticket in the bag and get vigorous. A two minute stress buster and you haven’t even planted anything yet!

Your soil is now ready to use. Put it in your pots, plant your seeds and you will start to see the fruits of your labours. Don’t be afraid to play around with the ingredients and proportions. Gardening is inexact. The vagaries of climate can make huge differences. Play around with the various ingredients until you find what works for your little patch. You probably won’t get things right first time but even your so-so results will taste better than the supermarket stuff. And you will be exercising yourself and helping the planet.