Leaves
Leaves are the best bargain because they are free! They are a better soil conditioner than peat moss, especially if you have clay soil. Leaves contain lots of nutrients that your plants will love. They also attract worms and microorganisms that will help aerate the compost pile and speed up decomposing. You may need to add nitrogen to help balance the amount of carbon that decomposing leaves produce. For example: a 10 kg bag of 7-7-7 fertilizers will treat 10 cubic yards (or meters) of fresh leaves. You will need to double that amount for dry leaves. Sawdust Sawdust is a good, long-lasting soil conditioner and recommended for both clay and sandy soil. If you use sawdust from a commercial site make sure it hasn’t come from wood that was chemically preserved or treated or you may end up burning your plants. Ask before you take an unnecessary risk with your garden.
|
