Healthy soil = healthy plants
Healthy Soil, Happy Harvest
Growing your own delicious, healthy fruits and vegetables starts from the ground up. Build better soil, and you’ll enjoy tastier produce and a more abundant harvest.
Healthy soil is packed with organic matter that attracts beneficial microbes to your veggie patch. These tiny helpers break down nutrients and create a crumbly, active soil structure that plants love.
What makes soil healthy?
- Plenty of available nutrients for strong growth
- Crumbly loam texture that roots can easily penetrate
- Good drainage with medium to high porosity
- Excellent aeration so roots get the oxygen they need
How to Create and Maintain Healthy Soil
Plants draw their nutrition from the soil, so to keep them thriving, you need to replenish nutrients regularly. Here’s how:
- Add organic material
- Balance soil pH
- Boost nutrient levels
- Work and turn the soil
Improve Soil Composition
Enrich your soil with organic matter like compost and aged manure to:
- Provide slow-release nutrients
- Increase water-holding capacity
- Improve porosity for better oxygen flow and drainage
Apply organic mulch such as sugarcane or pea straw. As it breaks down, it adds nutrients and can be easily worked into the soil at season’s end.
Monitor Soil pH
pH determines how well plants absorb nutrients. For veggies and herbs, aim for slightly acidic soil (pH 6.0–7.0).
Steps to maintain optimal pH:
- Test with a pH kit from your local garden centre
- Adjust if needed: Raise pH (less acidic): Add garden lime
- Adjust if needed: Lower pH (less alkaline): Apply compost, manure, or sulphur
Add Extra Nutrients
Organic matter releases nutrients slowly, but for an extra boost, mix in Scotts Osmocote® Compost Premium Soil Improver before planting.
This enriched compost:
- Revitalises soil and boosts plant health
- Feeds for 4 months with Scotts Osmocote®
- Corrects iron deficiencies with iron sulphate
Work and Turn the Soil
Compacted soil harms plants by reducing air space, blocking water penetration, and restricting root growth.
Regularly turning the soil helps:
- Create air pockets essential for roots
- Improve water infiltration
- Release and distribute nutrients
- Encourage earthworms and beneficial microbes
Healthy soil is alive—and working it keeps it that way.
