Be prepared! Terra Viva Home and Garden
The original motto of the scout movement started by Robert Baden-Powell applies to most situations in life. For gardeners, preparation is the starting point and key to success – and it’s all about the soil.
“The better the soil, the better the results,” says Peter Worsp of the iconic home and garden destination Terra Viva. “While the ultimate goal is scented roses and bowls of sweet strawberries, avoid the temptation to just rush ahead and bung the plants in.”
“Plants are just like us – we thrive in the right conditions and we suffer in adverse conditions. Well-prepared soil gives plants a quick start and keeps them going ahead,” Peter adds.
So what makes for well-prepared soil?
- Digging over to roughly 30cm deep
- Breaking up soil clods
- Adding compost, Real Blood & Bone, a dusting of lime, and sheep pellets
- Gypsum helps to break up compacted, heavy clay-type soils and turn them into quality soil
- Applying mulch (fine bark, peastraw) in warm weather helps conserve moisture and improve soil
“Well dug-over soil allows the roots to get out quickly to anchor the plant and draw in nutrients which translates to growth.”
Peter references a “glowing” garden in Christchurch – one of the best in the city he says. The keen gardener’s secret is “generous and regular applications of compost”.
Compost adds fertility, improves drainage and aeration, and encourages earthworms whose actions and secretions add to the soil’s quality and texture – making weed-pulling a breeze.
Peter advises sourcing the right fertiliser mix for your plants’ specifics. Plants use potash, an alkaline potassium compound, to produce flowers and fruit. “This is why rose food and fruit food have high potash levels – too much nitrogen gives lush foliage growth yet minimal flowering.” Conversely, lawn food has minimal potash and high nitrogen to give strong foliage growth and strengthen your lawn. Peter raves about sheep pellets as one of the most effective fertilisers, popular for their soil-improving qualities. At home, Peter uses a bucket to combine an equal third of Nitrophoska, sheep pellets, and OceanFert, a pelletised seaweed for great plant health. If you’re keen to seek Peter’s expertise, visit Terra Viva Home & Garden at 242 Roydvale Avenue, Burnside.
