Poor soil is cited as the number one reason for lack of performance, particularly on new build sites and large commercial landscape schemes; foot traffic or machinery compaction prevents plants from getting off to a good start in less-than-perfect situations. No need to go back and get a master’s degree in soil science or break the bank just yet. The good news is, you can increase plant survival rates without investing thousands in different soils. A few simple changes can bring about great improvements.
Understand what ‘poor’ means on your site
Bad soil is usually one of these:
Compaction: simply no space to allow roots or water into
In poor drainage, water continues to sit around the roots, leading to rotting
Low fertiliser: poor plant growth
Water drains too fast, plants dry out: very sandy soil.
You can perform a simple test: make a small hole, fill it with water, and measure how fast the pool drains. And, also an investigation into how hard the soil is.
Plant in a well-dug hole, not just a planting hole. It can be as simple as a mistake, such as digging a hole in the ground, and the plant goes in, with roots hitting that solid, compacted soil “wall” with nowhere for the roots to grow.
Quick fix:
For the planting spot, loosen a little wider area (even just to a spade’s width outside of the hole)
Split the base of the pit to allow more water to go down
The quickest improvement is to add organic material
Structural (improving soil structure, increasing moisture holding, and nutrient availability)
Incorporate compost or well-rotted manure into the top tier.
Beds: Sow a layer, then fork in
Mix compost with the backfill instead of using straight compost (it will shrink and dry out) to fill in for trees and shrubs. For Plants for Trade, visit palmstead.co.uk/wholesale-plants-for-trade-in-kent
Mulch after planting
Mulch is a great “set and forget” survival tool. It helps retain moisture and reduces weeds competing for water. It also prevents soil from becoming baked in the sun or washed away by heavy rain.
Avoid mulch contacting the stems to prevent root rot.
Water smarter, not harder
Watering: In sandy areas, watering is typically not enough, and in waterlogged adjuncts, it tends to be too frequent due to poor soil. Encourage deep rooting by watering less often but more deeply.
Pay attention to those first 2 – 6 weeks post-planting.
For bigger schemes, think of a basic drip-line.
The takeaway
Fixing bad soil is all about structure and moisture. Aerate the soil, amend with organic matter, cover, and plant accordingly. These shortcuts decrease plant loss and accelerate the establishment of new planting.
