A post by Andrea, one of our Campus Garden Workers, who has been working hard for Transition (3 tomato seasons now)Â to establish community gardens across St Andrews! We are very lucky to have someone so passionate and friendly to teach those who go to our 14 gardens!Â
Soil care is at the heart of what we do as gardeners. It is simple: healthy soil means healthy plants.
That is why it is our job as food growers to make sure that we are constantly feeding our soil just as it feeds us. What we take from the garden we must give back because our food crops are hungry for nutrients and they can quickly deplete the soil of all its goodness.
Digging out the last of our harvest or overwintering your garden is the perfect opportunity to add an organic mulch. For example, leaf mould, grass clippings or seaweed can be used to cover up that bare soil or add protection for crops that can endure the winter. This is also a time to add the bottom of your compost heap to your vegetables beds.
It is essential for every garden to have a compost heap of some sort to collect green garden waste, brown garden waste and for the slightly more experienced composter – kitchen waste.  All the materials added will eventually mix with water and air to create that ‘gardener’s gold’.
Composting is an essential skill for any gardener and we are keen to teach these basics to the community, especially this time of year. So come along to any garden session or attend our special workshop this Sunday, 12:00-14:00 at the Botanic Garden 13th November 2016, with composting expert Bob Bilson.
