The main particles in healthy soil are decomposed organic ingredients. These are natural ingredients that were once living organisms.The more natural ingredients in the soil, the better moisture retention.If you’ve found your soil is dry and dead, follow these simple steps to bring it back to life!Gather a few of these ingredients(you won’t need all of them so gather the ones that are easiest to find). Compost – THE best form of organic matter. Compost is decomposing items that were once living. Eg fruit and veggie scraps.

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Follow this link to my super easy ‘ In-Garden’ Composting Method -. Mushroom Compost – also great to add to dry soil. Old animal manure – find this in bags for sale along the side of country roads.

Allow it to break down for about a month before placing in gardens. Or purchase bags of rotted manure at your local garden centre or hardware store. Garden and lawn clippings – both great to enrich your soil.

Make sure there’s no weed seeds included in lawn clippings, as they’ll sprout in your garden!!. Mulch – Cane, hay or other mulched plant matter helps to improve soil and retain moisture during dry times. Coir peat – a sustainable resource from coconut fibre.

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This retains moisture in garden soil and potting mix. Worm castings and liquid – great to have a home worm farm. Add worm poo and worm wee to your soilIt will love it!! (so will the kids!) Learn more about Worm Farms. B lood & bone (one of my faves), organic fertilisers and organic liquid plant fertilisers.Follow this method –. remove any mulch and weeds in the garden. give your soil a gentle dig with a garden fork.

Don’t turn the soil over, just push your fork in and give it a wiggle around. give the soil/ground a good hose with water before applying ingredients. This will help to retain moisture in the lower levels of soil. sprinkle Blood & Bone (as per application rate on bag).

apply a 5-10cm layer of chopped garden clippings or a thin layer (about 2-5cm) fresh green lawn clippings. apply 5-10cm layer of compost, rotted manure or mushroom compost. cover with a 5cm layer of cane mulch. give the area a good watering to wet all ingredients OR apply a few full watering cans of diluted worm liquid or organic liquid fertiliser.Get your hands in the mix (gloves on) to ensure everything is nicely damp. If not, water again.Allow the ingredients to ‘rest’ for approx.

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Checking moisture levels weekly (keep moist and then start planting in your garden.TIP – if you have existing plants growing, but need to improve soil, just apply the ingredients around plants ensuring ingredients are 5cm away from stems or main trunk. The same thing happens to potting mix in pot plants that have dried out.I suggest soaking the pot plant in a bucket full of water, with added liquid fertiliser, for about 20 – 30 minutes.

You’ll notice lots of bubbles coming to the surfaceThis means one dry plant!You can re-pot with a blend of the old soil and fresh posting mix to help potted plants retain moisture.I hope this helps to improve dry soil in your garden.If you have any questions then head to our and post questions or garden problems you have. I’m there each day to support you!© cath manuel 11 february 2015. I Just wanted to say, Thank You, for a great course, ‘From the Ground Up’. You, are a Star, in what was becoming a Black Hole of Despair.The course was fun, concise & precise with a good balance of theory and practical exercises. With your knowledge & expertise, you were able to de-mystify many things and focus on setting clear techniques to achieve the desired goals.Keep the good work up, as it is a wonderful thing you are doing, we really appreciate the enthusiasm and admire your professionalism. We look forward to be part of the next course.Joe. I find Cath’s workshops exceptionally helpful.

She delivers well thought out & planned information and for a visual person like me her practical demonstrations show me exactly what I need to do at home.Her vast knowledge of horticulture, permaculture and organic gardening practices shine through in every aspect of her workshops. She is a wonderfully friendly person who is always at the end of the phone for any extra help I might need.Plus her e-newsletters are full of great practical advice.Bethwyn, Cooroy, Qld. I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful service you’re offering our community. I’m not really a “green thumb” but your passion and knowledge has got me started!! I enjoyed your workshop very much, it was informative, fun and tasty!!You are inspirational and I am working toward having a sustainable garden where my family can eat their ‘fill’ of fresh fruit/veggies and salad stuff just like yours does. I can’t wait till your next workshop or should we call it a PLAYshop.fun fun fun!!!Deborah, Noosa, Qld. My attempts at gardening always ended with brown shrivelled plants and empty pots until I met Cath Manuel.

Cath has such incredible knowledge, and has the ability to give you the detail you need for your specific situation. For me, I don’t have lots of land yet wanted to grow my own herbs and vegetables, and she has guided me to make it happen. And it was great to get my children involved, they started with sunflowers, thanks to Cath!! It can be low cost and no hassle if that is what you want.Cath has lived and breathed all things ‘eco-living’ and ‘plant world’ for years, and you can tell! She is a sensation. If ever you wanted some guidance or help with fixing a garden problem or starting a fresh, you will love Cath’s inspiration and knowledge!Alison, Buderim, Qld.

“The benefits of Cath Manuel’s therapeutic gardening groups can be seen on the faces of our residents who attend her weekly sessions in our Memory Support Unit.Living with dementia can make daily activities challenging and frustrating, so it is beautiful to watch the group laughing and interacting together, reminiscing about gardens they have tended to in the past. For many of them, the feel of the soil between their fingers has unlocked gardening skills that have remained hidden in recent years.To have seedlings to care for and gardens to water has provided a purpose for them again. The feedback from staff and relatives has been incredibly positive”.