This free online gardening course improves your knowledge of soils and compost to help you grow strong, healthy plants.

Growing healthy plants relies not only on watering them but also on using the appropriate soil. This gardening course begins by explaining the factors that led to soil creation. We explain which elements are required to create healthy soil. We then explore the important role played by soil organisms that contribute towards supplying the resources your plants need while protecting them from pests and diseases.

This course shows you how to fully understand any soil you are working with by demonstrating different methods used to test soils to determine soil texture. We explain how different soil textures affect both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ landscaping projects. We discuss why your soil may not be behaving the way you would like and demonstrate how to resolve this by altering its structure. Finally, we address the hugely important role of soil organic matter, which consists of plant or animal matter experiencing various stages of decomposition.

Whether you are growing your own food or ornamental plants or doing ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ landscaping for clients, you require specialist knowledge of the soil with which you are working. We discuss the role of composting in making your soil work for you and identify what to put in your compost. The course also demonstrates how to get the best compost as quickly as possible. Sign up for this gardening course to learn how to maintain better soil that supports the cultivation of healthier plants.