Soil quality is fundamental to a glorious garden, and proper soil preparation and management are real skills that we have honed over many years of experience.

Preparing soil for planting

On one past project we arrived at a garden to find most of the existing planting dying. We soon diagnosed poor soil quality and terrible drainage as the problem. Beneath the top soil, crushed stone intended for drainage had actually bonded with underlying clay to create an impenetrable layer that water could not pass.

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The soil had become very waterlogged and compacted, which was fatal to the planting. We replaced this with a proper herringbone drainage system and built up a soil profile using subsoil and top soil to give ideal planting conditions.

Managing soil moisture

Another area of importance is managing soil moisture as this determines plant health and establishment. Our Head Gardener service trains gardeners how to take soil samples and understand the results. To do this we supply a particular auger (a measurement device) that we have found through years of experience to work very well. The auger allows the gardener to sample soil conditions such as the rootball of a large specimen tree. They send us a photo or video of the results. From this sample of the soil profile we can see how wet or dry the soil is to a depth of 30cm and recommend the right level of irrigation.

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Underwatering and overwatering

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Some plants, in particular larger specimens, are very vulnerable to underwatering and if they fail, then replacement is often very difficult or impossible and very expensive. If moisture levels are checked regularly then we get a feel for how the planting performs during periods of stress and irrigate to allow for this,

We often come across yew hedging that has deteriorated due to underwatering. There is a common misconception that they perform in dry conditions but this is incorrect.

What they don’t like is waterlogged soil but if they are in a free-draining soil and are given plenty of water then they will grow vigorously and establish into a fine hedge rapidly.

Overwatering can also be a problem however, being not only wasteful on water but can lead to significant plant health issues if the soil becomes waterlogged leading to plants deteriorating and dying.

Right balance

It is therefore essential to get the balance right. Our specialist teams can do this because they understand what is happening to the soil and can make the right adjustments to the irrigation as appropriate.