Know Your Soil
Soil is a living system. Before any intervention, observe: texture (sand/silt/clay), drainage, organic matter, and biology (worms, fungi, root depth). A simple jar test or spade dig tells you more than a lab report ever will.
Feed the Soil, Not the Plant
Cover crops, compost, and minimal tillage build humus. Synthetic fertilisers bypass the soil food web — short-term gain, long-term dependency. Aim for 5%+ organic matter.
- Cover crops: clover, rye, vetch (fix nitrogen, prevent erosion)
- Compost: 3:1 browns to greens, turned monthly
- No-dig: sheet mulch with cardboard + compost + straw
Water Infiltration
Compacted soil sheds water. Key indicators: pooling after rain, runoff, crusting. Fix with: aeration (broadfork, not rototiller), gypsum on clay, deep-rooted daikon radish as a bio-drill, swales on contour.
Seasonal Rhythm
Work with the seasons, not against them. Autumn: mulch heavily, plant garlic/cover crops. Winter: plan, compost, sharpen tools. Spring: transplant, direct-sow after last frost. Summer: mulch, water deep, monitor pests.
Measure & Adapt
Keep a simple field journal: dates, weather, what you planted, what worked. Photograph the same spot monthly. Soil changes slowly — track it over years, not weeks.