Soil

Does it go without saying that soil is a really important part of growing healthy veg? Probably.

However, the soil in my veg patch is a constant source of disappointment to me. I regularly treat it to a cheeky feast of nutritious compost, but it's just never enough. Now, if you have soil like this you need to realise that it will take a few years of fertilising, crop rotation & general TLC before the quality of your soil is up to scratch. 

BUT all is not lost, oh no! I am a huge fan of this little number:

This is my new best friend, Seaweed Fertiliser.

 I live nowhere near the sea, so I am unable to gather my own seaweed from the beach. But, thank goodness, The Fair Traders Cooperative has done it for me, in the form of an organic, biodegradable & sustainable bag of nutritious goodness. 

This was actually in their gardening sale, so it only cost me £4.97 for a 2kg bag, which will last me a year or so.

All you have to do is scoop a couple of cups of the seaweed granules into a pair of old tights (preferably the leg which is un-laddered....), then soak it in a gallon or 2 of water for 3 months. 

Then all you need to do is give your veg patch a good soaking (but be careful not to make the mixture too strong, as you can burn the roots of your plants, & we can't be doing with that).

It's like one giant tea bag, loaded with vitamins & minerals for your plants! Also, seaweed is an excellent compost activator, so once I'm done with this lot of seaweed, I can just add it to my compost heap, so no wasting of it!

If, like me you live nowhere near the sea, you can buy it right here, cheap as chips.

I can almost hear my soil & veg saying "om nom nom"!