Occasionally you may feel the need to give your plants a little fertilizer boost with as they grow, especially if your garden does not have the best type of soil. However, we should make sure that it is really necessary as over fertilization can have serious consequences for your garden plants, soil and the natural environment.
Stunted plant growth, noticeably sparse leaves, brown leaf tips and edges, and discoloured and wilting lower leaves can all point to fertilizer that is applied to generously. Plants take up nutrients at it’s best when the soil pH is neutral, that is not too acidic or too basic. Too much fertilizer alters this balance as the added soluble salt compounds make the soil more acidic.
Gardeners may be tempted to rinse excess fertilizer away with irrigation. This is a terrible idea. The soluble salts can leach into the soil around your garden, including your the gardens of your neighbours and the natural environment, while most of it will stay behind in the soil.
The best way to restore your garden soil is to apply Stanler’s mushroom compost and organically enriched topsoil. Organic compost is pH neutral and will always improve soil that is too acidic or basic. It’s better to avoid fertilizers in general and work on improving your soil over time with slow composting green waste, compost and a growth base like our compost-enriched topsoil.
If you have any questions about how to improve your garden soil condition, feel free to contact us. We are really passionate about helping people everywhere in South Africa grow lush gardens that are environmentally sustainable.