Occasionally we have customers contacting us noting that after the first two harvests, their Vegepods are not behaving as they once did. There’s a simple explanation for this. At the end of two seasons of harvesting, your plants have drawn up a lot of nutrients from the soil and as a result your soil needs tilling and replenishing.  Here’s a quick step-by-step guide for how to replenish your soil for year two of your Vegepod.

What You'll Need

Compost, Fertiliser, Manure, A garden rake or fork.

Step 1: Replenish Soil In Between Seasons

Ideally, we think it's best to consider replenishing the soil betwen each season i.e. after every Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer harvest; however, if you can only do it once a year that's alright too. 

Step 2: Dig With Caution

You can dig up the soil but if you do that be careful. The way to test if your soil is okay to dig is by forming it into a fist-sized ball and dropping it. If the soil falls apart this means it’s dry enough to work with and you won’t ruin the soil structure by digging it up.

Step 3: Till

If you’re unsure about digging, just till the soil. That is, get a garden fork and gently rake the topsoil so it’s broken up and ready to receive the organic matter you’re about to put down.

Step 4: Sprinkle Your Organic Matter

Sprinkle through the tilled soil your fertilisers and composts. We recommend some worm castings or well-aged / well broken down cow manure, then a thin layer of compost, and then apply a few watering cans worth of worm tea or organic liquid fertiliser such as Power Feed. 

Step 5: Get Your Hands Dirty

Mix it up with your hands and ensure everything is nicely damp. If not, water again. When finished - don’t pat the soil or you’ll be losing all the lovely aeration that microorganisms thrive on.

Step 6: Wait

Ideally steps one to five are completed two to three weeks ahead of planting your next crops. This is so the soil can ‘rest’ like a well-done steak. However, if your soil needs emergency improvement, do all of the above steps around the growing plants and make sure the organic ingredients are 5 cm away from any plant stems. That’s it! Do that even just once a year and your plants will continue to thrive.

At Vegepod we strive to make your raised garden beds as easy as possible to use but unfortunately one thing we can’t control is the sun and soil, so look out for your plants and if you notice the plants just aren't thriving despite good sun and water or if the soil looks dry and lifeless, consider giving above a go. Happy tilling!