Soil Improver

[Squirrel]

Please could someone explain the difference between soil improver and compost? I thought they were one and the same so am now a very confused furry thing!

[Alice]

No expert here squirrel, but, you are right, compost is a soil improver. There are all types of compost from your home made, which will improve the texture of the soil and provide nutrients for plants, to stuff you buy which can be anything from peat, which will improve heavy soil but not provide feeding through to bags of manure. I think "soil improver" is a term manufacturers like to use on us and it's up to us to decide what we are looking for and to what extent their product will fit th bill. The stuff they sell in B&Q really does improve the texture but still waiting to see what the nutritional results are. I mixed some with some compost which had completely dried out and the difference in water retention was amazing. Hope this helps.

[Geordie]

A soil improver is literally a label attached to anything that will improve your soil. It will include - compost, manure, seaweed, ferns, leafmould etc etc.
I would start at the point of return - my soil, and ask what would improve it? What problems do you have with the soil that need improving? Too heavy, to light, no nutrients, poor drainage etc.

eg my soil leans toward a clay type so I use lots of manure to 'open up' the texture of the soil and make it more free draining. The manure will also have nutrients in it but this is not the main reason for using. If it was nutrients i wanted manure would not be the first choice. I could use leafmould to do the same job but I would need 2 industrial silos and a road sweper van to collect enough due to its rapid decomposition and volume loss.

[Squirrel]

I have been offered soil improver by the council at £1.20 per 20kg which sounds like a good offer.

I am on very sandy soil, though it is fertile as I have cleared lawn off it (been under lawn about 20 years I think) but I do expect to take a lot out of it as well. I also have access to free horse manure so between the two I should be able to produce a garden of eden!

Thanks for clarifying the situation for me. Geordie I had never thought of starting from the soil end and working backwards! That makes a lot of sense, thank you.