Healthy soil for healthy plants: How to help your soil thrive

Achieving and maintaining a healthy soil is the most important aspect when growing food organically. A healthy soil brings higher yields and fewer pests and diseases, while also reducing the need for watering and weeding.

A healthy soil is a soil full of life, most of which we need a microscope to see. In this session, we will look at the life that teams in healthy soils and explore what might disrupt it if we garden without putting the needs of the soil first. We will discuss soil texture and structure in relation to soil life, and some of the ways in which a gardener can easily support their soil’s health – with a particular focus on using green manures, mulching, composting methods and compost uses.

Trainer Bio:

Elena was the Coordinator for two Capital Growth Allotments in the Royal Parks between 2019 and 2020, after working and volunteering in therapeutic and community gardens in London over the last six years. She studied Organic Horticulture at OrganicLea and completed a Permaculture Design Course with SpiralSeeds, and is a student of The Soil Food Web School. Elena’s background also involves working with vulnerable adults in the fields of mental health, homelessness and substance misuse, with charities such as Rethink Mental Illness and Single Homeless Project. Elena has now moved back to Italy, where she is working on a community garden project with a local cooperative, teaching English, and delivering training on no dig gardening and soil health.