Hi I've small plant (sugar banana), veggies. Which soil type will suit them. Could you please provide guidance. I would prefer chemical free additives please. Thank you MM
Hi @nagumuthu,
The main thing with fruit and veggies is that their soil is rich in nutrients and free draining.
On the “chemical free” side, just a quick note that everything is technically made of chemicals, so the term can be a bit misleading. What people usually mean is avoiding synthetic fertilisers or additives. If that’s your goal, stick with organic inputs like compost, seaweed products, and manure. These will feed your plants gently and improve the soil over time.
The more premium products tend to include wetting agents, which would be considered a safe synthetic additive, but if your ultimate goal is to avoid their use, I would stick with something simple like this https://www.bunnings.com.au/garden-basics-25l-garden-soil-mix_p0274300 which can be mixed with https://www.bunnings.com.au/richgro-25l-all-purpose-mushroom-compost_p0089356 and coarse sand to make a quality, free draining mix with plenty of nutrients. Aim for around 50% compost, 30% garden soil and 20% sand.
After planting, you can use seaweed-based products and manure alongside organic fertilisers such as this https://www.bunnings.com.au/hortico-10kg-garden-fertiliser_p2960033 to further provide nutrients and improve soil structures.
Mulch also acts like a slow, natural feeder for your soil. As it breaks down over time, it adds organic matter and nutrients back into the soil, helping build healthier structure and feeding your plants more consistently.
Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Jacob
Hi @JacobZ, thanks for the detailed explanation. I have a few follow-up questions:
The purpose of the sand is to improve drainage. Sand has larger particles that create gaps, allowing water to drain through quickly, while soil and compost have finer particles and organic matter that act like a sponge, holding moisture for plant roots. Creating a balance where the soil holds water, but still lets it drain through is what you are aiming for, hence the addition of the sand.
It's not necessary to use all of these things, but they are examples of what can be used. Traditionally, you would just add compost at the beginning of the planting season, then add mulch over the top. It's worth adding a fertiliser early on in the growing season as it provides the base nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) that all plants need to grow. A seaweed solution can be good to use reactively if the plants are looking a bit dull. You do not need to use everything I've mentioned, but you can if you'd like to.
If you'd like a single product that covers all bases, then you'd look at a premium potting mix such as https://www.bunnings.com.au/scotts-osmocote-25l-garden-soil-premium-planting-mix_p3010198 . You can then react to how your plants are as the growing season goes on, applying fertiliser, compost, mulch etc as necessary.
Let me know if you have any further questions.
Thanks @JacobZ.
I have purchased and completed the activity. If you have any comments to improvise, please let me know.
Thanks.
MM
Nice work @nagumuthu. Please let us know if you have any more questions. We're happy to help.
Jason
