Conditioners

What is a Soil Conditioner?

We've all become used to hearing the term 'soil conditioner' but it is really just a generic term for something you add to the soil in order to 'condition' or improve it before planting; or to feed up plants you may already have in your garden.

Soil Conditioners can include compost, manure, or any of our Soil Concentrates, and generally include organic material.  Even green manure and straw can be considered a soil conditioner, if used incorporated into the soil and allowed to break down to provide organic material.

Ideally, a mixture of inputs (like you'll already find in our Concentrates) should be used to provide a wide range of nutrition to your soil.

It is important to add organic matter to your soil.  It improves soil structure and provides a food source for beneficial fungi and microorganisms.  Initially organic matter can help with water holding of your soil, although in time ironically it can become hydrophobic and water repellent.  This can be managed by using clay in your soil as well as the organic matter, or by having a program of topping up your organic matter 'little and often' in your soil.  

Depending on what soil conditioner you use, it may be necessary or advisable to add fertilisers and soil wetting products to ensure you are providing nutrients to the soil.  Talk to us - we're happy to advise you.

Our Soil Conditioning Products include:

Vegetable Concentrate

Certified Organic. Our richest mix which contains loads of nutrients, organic matter and minerals to help hold water. Turn existing sandy garden beds into rich soil. Recommended mixing rate is 1 part concentrate to 1 part soil.

Available in bulk or 25 litre bags.

Soil Builder (formerly known as General Concentrate)

Loads of nutrients, organic matter and minerals to help hold water. Ideal for topping up and conditioning existing garden beds. Suitable for shrubs, flowering plants and fruit trees.  Recommended mixing rate is 1 part concentrate to 1 part soil.

Available in bulk or 25 litre bags.

Native Concentrate

A blend of organic matter and nutrients suitable for phosphorus sensitive plants. Ideal for conditioning existing garden beds and boosting flowering natives. Recommended mixing rate is 1 part concentrate to 1 part soil.

Available in bulk or 25 litre bags.

Manure

A weed-free blend of sheep and cow manure.  Ideal for topping up garden beds, using around roses and fruit trees, etc.

Available in bulk, or 25 litre bags .

Compost

Garden compost, finely sieved and dark in colour.  Made from a range of green waste products, matured and broken down to become a good source of organic carbon.  Certified Organic & made to Australian Standards.

Available in bulk, or 25 litre bags (bags by special order*).

Cocopeat

Made from the ground up husk of coconuts, cocopeat is very long lasting in the soil, and also works really well to help hold moisture.  It is excellent to add to dry spots in the garden, or to add to basic potting mixes and hanging baskets to improve their water holding capacity.  Unfortunately it is one of the most expensive inputs we use; which does make it uneconomical for large areas.

Charlie Charcoal/Biochar

Biochar has excellent water holding and nutrient holding capabilities.  It acts like compost in the soil, providing a home for microbes, but does not get consumed by them.  Biochar provides carbon in the soil in a very stable form - it is a permanent soil amendment.  Certified organic.

Available in bulk, or 25 litre bags.

Acid Concentrate

A soil improver designed to be dug through existing soils to aid in lowering pH for acid loving plants at approx. 50:50 ratio.  Also useful in areas where base soil is highly alkaline.

Available in bulk, or 25 litre bags (bags by special order*)

Coastal Concentrate

A soil improver designed for very sandy/limestone sands, which are usually very alkaline and may have high salts.  It is to be dug through existing soils to aid in lowering pH at approx. 50:50 ratio.

Available in bulk, or 25 litre bags (by special order)

Hills Concentrate

A soil improver designed for the heavier clay type soils in Perth to be dug through existing soils at approx. 50:50 ratio.  High in minerals to help with water & air penetration to create more of a loam structure.

Available in bulk, or 25 litre bags (by special order)