Which manure is best?
Asking yourself whether chook poo or that bag of horse manure a friend has offered you for free is what you need? Consider these points first.
Worms in small spaces
Not everyone has a backyard with space for a compost or worm farm, but these ideas from Kate Flood will work on a benchtop or balcony.
Does your soil pass the test?
Knowing which nutrients are in short supply (or oversupplied) can help you take a more targeted approach to fertilisers that you add to your soil.
Start with your soil
Early autumn is a good time to take a close look at your soil and do some prep work for your new crops, writes Penny Woodward.
Chook poo power
Jessamy Miller dishes the dirt on chook poo so you can make the most of it in your garden.
Improve your soil, help the planet
Linda Cockburn believes gardeners have a crucial job to do, storing carbon in their soils. It will help with your harvest, as well as helping stave off the worst effects of the climate crisis.
Bushfire recovery: start with the soil
The loss of a much-loved garden during a bushfire can be devastating, but with patience and time you can rebuild. And your soil is a good place to start.
Animal-free fertilisers
Karen Sutherland outlines the fertiliser and soil amendment options for vegan gardeners or those who are looking for ways to reduce animal dependence.
Growing in sandy soils
A few gardeners are blessed with deep, rich, textured, fertile soil. But what if you aren't? Penny Woodward has some ideas to help.
Restoring sodden soil
JUSTIN RUSSELL explores some gentle techniques to help restore your wet, wet, wet soil.
Wonderful worms
Recycling kitchen scraps through a worm farm provides valuable worm castings and juice to improve garden soil and plant growth, writes Jessamy Miller.
Testing times
Soil testing in the Patch from Scratch backyard revealed the extent of environmental contamination in our cities, writes JACQUELINE FORSTER.
Fungi facts
PENNY WOODWARD says it is good to look after most of the fungi growing in your garden.
