Boost your soil’s fertility with these scientific methods
If you have been GIYing or planning to get more sustainable next year then this weekend is the perfect moment to invest some fertility into your soil.
You can simply dig in compost or manure, or both, to add nutrients and beneficial bacteria to bolster soil health and soil fertility.
But making a tea of your compost or manure makes it go further. Compost tea is great as a foliar spray to feed plants and suppress foliar diseases whereas manure tea is best as a soil drench to invigorate or rejuvenate cultivation beds by feeding the earthworms and micro-organisms that are the engines of your soil.
There are two ways to make a ‘tea’ of either. The easy way is to fill an old pillowcase, pair of tights or permeable sack with manure/compost and steep in a bucket/barrel of water for a day to a week to yield nutrient rich liquid fertiliser. The advanced method is to really ‘brew’ a tea. The purpose here is additional microbial and nutritional benefit and it requires a dollop of molasses and some aeration equipment (small pond or aquarium pump) inside the bucket/barrel to keep bacteria oxygenated and fed — and happily multiplying.
If using tap water, boil, cool and sit over night before you start any brew — to lessen chlorine and other chemicals that inhibit bacterial growth. The brew takes two-three days and is used immediately to avail of all the beneficial bacteria.
You can also make a steeped tea of chicken manure. Infuse for four weeks, stir daily (gases will be released). Strain/decant liquid part. Separated solids to compost heap. Dilute it 4:1 (water to tea) as soil drench onto empty beds or 20:1 (with a tsp. of Epsom salts for balance) to supply cultivated beds or ornamental borders. Always do a test patch as some manure teas are very potent and can burn foliage and roots. Chicken can be very high in nitrogen and ‘heat’ but a great booster before you cover beds for winter rest or pre-warming.
Ornamental gardeners are top dressing and winter mulching some plants now and foliar feeds and soil drenches are in the arsenal of pretty gardens as much as productive gardens. Be they for cropping or ornamental value, plants function at their optimum when they have access to 17 essential plant nutrients — some use all 17, some avail of less.
Three of those essentials —carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen — come from air and water. The other 14 come from the soil, or at least we hope they will. The good news is regular home composting keeps your soil supplied with those micronutrients and major nutrients too.
For a long time gardeners threw chemicals at the problem while organic gardeners concocted solutions such as compost tea, nettle ferment and pressed comfrey juice to be a more natural solution. It is wonderful to see that those weird potions are now a part of orthodox gardening and even on the shelves of garden centres.
We still have a way to go in lessening chemical dependency in gardening — especially with the ongoing napalming of pests and diseases and the knock-on complications to human lungs and cells and to the health of the soil biota and the beneficial insects that visit our gardens.
So each week from now until spring, whatever else I may talk about, I will provide a recipe to help us go one chemical less in the garden.
In terms of harvesting some macro and micro nutrients to ferment in a bucket of water, or to breakdown and release into the compost heap, the following chart will assist. It is science week after all!
* Traditionally we are asked to heighten blades on the mower for the last cut, but some opt to continue to trim lightly as a winter mowing regime until mid-December.
* Cloche grey-leaved and tender plants, both are more susceptible to cold.
* Apply slug control - beer traps work great as do garlic sprays.
* Check stored fruit and discard any showing the slightest sign of rotting, so as not to lose your entire store. Develop a practice of checking in on your stores regularly.
* Cover can be applied this month to prevent weeds and to heat up soil come next spring.
* Look to lagging outdoor taps, standpipes an irrigation lines, just in case
*Give you compost heap a can of beer – this adds nutrients and some decomposition fuel before it cools over winter.
* Ann O Hara will demonstrate a Christmas Gala for Cork Flower Club on Tuesday November 17 at 8pm in Canon Packham Hall Douglas. Supper will be served. Everyone is welcome. Admission €15 in aid of Motor Neurone Disease.
Sunday’s Well Flower & Garden Club presents: “Christmas Night” with flower arranger, Carmel O’Driscoll on Wednesday November 18 at 8pm at Blarney Street, Community Centre, Strawberry Hill. €5. All welcome.
Skibbereen Flower & Garden Club will hold a Christmas flower demonstration by Sandra Jackson at The West Cork Hotel, Skibbereen on Wednesday November 11 at 8.15 pm.
Mitchelstown Flower & Garden Club’s annual Christmas Gala Night with Sandra Jackson will be held in the Firgrove Hotel on Thursday November 26 at 8.00pm. Supporting Motor Neurone Ireland. Everyone welcome, great night assured.
Carrigtwohill Flower & Garden Club will host Rose Hickey at its annual Christmas Gala on Wednesday November 25 at 8pm Theme: ‘Seasonal Greetings’. Location: Community Hall, Carrigtwohill. Seasonal refreshments on arrival. Raffle of all Christmas arrangements. Cost: €10 — all welcome.
Cobh Flower and Horticulture Club will hold its Christmas Gala Demonstration on Wednesday December 2 at 8pm in the Commodore Hotel, Cobh. Floral arrangements by Richard Haslam. Admission €10, supporting local charities. Tickets available from club members and at the door.
Charleville Flower & Garden Club will host a Christmas gala demonstration entitled: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” by Geraldine McCarthy, AOIFA demonstrator at the Charleville Park Hotel on Monday November 23 at 8pm. Tickets €15.00. Raffle prizes on door ticket. In aid of IMNDA and local charities.
The Owenabue Garden and Flower Club, Carrigaline is having its “Magic of Christmas” demonstration by Rose Hickey of AOIFA on Monday November 23 at 8 pm in the C of I school hall (beside main entrance to Community school). Visitors welcome. Any enquiries to 086-3222615.
Bandon Flower Club is holding its annual dinner with a flower arranging demonstration by Chris Bailey AOIFA in the Munster Arms Hotel, on Monday November 16 at 7.30pm. Tickets available from committee members or contact June on 087-9282246 or Carol at 023-8844489.
Innishannon Flower and Garden Club will hold a workshop night on Wednesday November 11 at 8pm in Barrett’s Lounge. Eileen O’ Brien, AOIFA, will demonstrate some floral arrangements. Afterwards, members will will have the opportunity to create their own arrangements. Please bring some flowers and greenery. Oasis and base will be provided by club.
The Passage, Glenbrook & Monkstown Grow It Yourself group have an amazing night of quiz fun and food treats organised for Thursday November 19 at 7:30pm in the Church Of Ireland Hall, Passage West. All welcome. Cost €5 on door. Further details: pgmgrowityourself@gmail.com
Mallow Flower And Garden Club presents a Christmas Gala Demonstration by Sandra Jackson AOIFA on November 17 at 8pm at GAA Sports Complex Carrigoon Mallow.
In Lismore on November 28 the Duke of Devonshire will present an illustrated talk on the gardens and landscapes at Chatsworth in Derbyshire with reference to the changes that have occurred from the time of the first duke to the present day. The talk will also focus on the collecting habits of several generations of his family. Booking is essential through Lismore Castle Arts.
Clonmel Flower Club will hold an evening of Christmas flower arranging with Mary Johannes (Cahir) in Hotel Minella on Monday, November 9 at 8pm. All are welcome to this event in aid of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association. Tickets to include refreshments and raffle cost €10 at the door.
Boherbue ICA will present a Christmas Floral Demonstration by Sliabh Luachra Garden Centre, in Boherbue Parish Hall on Wednesday, December 9 at 8pm. Everyone welcome. Admission €5. Come along and bring a friend.
Coachford Flower and Garden Club will hold its social evening in Griffin’s Garden Centre Dripsey on Wednesday November 25 at 7 pm. Pre booking is essential. Names to the Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer.
Tralee Flower and Garden club presents “The Magic of Christmas “ a Christmas gala demonstration by Eileen O’ Brien, AOIFa on Monday, November 16 at 8pm In The Grand Hotel, supporting Motor Neurone Disease Association. All very welcome. Admission €10
To place your event — please email: gardening@examiner.ie
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