Soil Improvers Perth

Tap any job below and the range above filters itself to what suits it.

• Water runs off instead of soaking in→
• The bed dries out within a day→
• Fixing the sand once and for good→
• Feeding tired soil back to life→
• Topping up trace elements→
• Potting mixes and raising seed→

• What is the difference between bentonite clay and Soil Solver?+

  Both are clays that permanently change sandy soil, and both work by coating the sand grains so water and nutrients stop draining past the roots. Bentonite is a pure, unmodified calcium bentonite from Watheroo, with nothing else in the bag. Soil Solver Clay Plus Minerals is kaolin clay and silt with ten minerals attached to it, so it improves the structure and tops up trace elements in the same pass.

• Why does water run off my soil instead of soaking in?+

  Once Perth sand dries past a certain point it develops a waxy coating and turns water-repellent, which is a soil condition rather than anything you have done wrong. A soil wetter fixes the physics of it quickly, for up to six months at a time. A clay fixes the soil itself and does not need repeating.

• Do I need clay or compost?+

  Usually both, and in that order. The clay holds water and nutrients in place; the compost supplies them. Soil Solver and Watheroo both say the same thing — apply the clay, then follow it with compost and mulch.

• How much do I need for my garden?+

  It depends on the product and how bad the sand is, and the rates differ enough that we would rather work it out with you than have you take a number off this page. Each product page carries its own rate. Bring the area of the bed in square metres and we will do the sum at the counter.

• Are perlite and vermiculite the same thing?+

  No, and they do opposite jobs. Perlite is expanded volcanic glass that adds air and drainage, so it suits cuttings, succulents and anything that hates wet feet. Vermiculite holds three to four times its volume in water, so it suits seed raising and mixes that dry out too fast.

• Is any of this safe around pets and ponds?+

  Watheroo state that their bentonite is safe for animals, ponds and soil micro-organisms. For the others, ask at the counter and read the bag — the composted products all carry a micro-organism handling warning, which means gloves, keeping the material damp and washing your hands afterwards.

• Is the soil wetter organic?+

  No, and Brunnings do not publish the active ingredients, so we cannot list them for you. If that rules it out for your garden, bentonite clay and Soil Solver both cure water repellence by changing the soil rather than treating the water, and both are natural minerals.

• Can I get these delivered?+

  Yes, across Perth's southern suburbs, usually alongside whatever bulk order you are placing. Most people take bags with them though — they fit in a boot, which is the point of buying them bagged.