THE GOOD SOIL

A HEALTHY GARDEN BEGINS AT GROUND ZERO

Regenerative gardens are gaining in popularity which, put simply, means restoring organic matter to create healthier soil and therefore healthier plants.

Niva and Yotam Kay, who live on the Coromandel Peninsula, have released a book, The Abundant Garden, which has simple strategies and techniques to help keep plants and soil healthy.

Here they share their top 10 steps for a regenerative garden.

1 Taking care of the soil.

The most important thing when thinking about regenerative gardening is understanding that healthy plants grow in healthy soil. A key for a thriving and productive garden is shifting the focus to what’s happening under the surface.

2 Forking, not digging.

There are distinct layers within the topsoil, which are much better left intact. Preparing gardens by digging mixes up these layers and causes a big disturbance to all those creatures living in the soil. Forking is just as effective as digging at aerating and loosening the soil, but without damaging the soil’s structure.

3 Organic matter matters.