It’s important for our wellbeing to connect with the environment

Published: Thu 10 Nov 2022, 10:07 AM

I think I’ve touched on this subject in the past, but it’s still relevant and we all need reminding. It is important for our wellbeing that we connect with our environment.

We were never meant to live in big cities and more and more nowadays people are becoming urbanised and tend to go between the office and home, thereby missing out on the benefits of natural light.

This results in many people suffering from a condition called SAD, which is the lack of sunlight and vitamin D.

It’s not the busiest time of the year for gardening but there are lots of beautiful walks in Westmeath – take advantage of them.

If you do feel like doing a bit of gardening, it’s the perfect time to plant, but don’t overwork wet soil.

One of the most beneficial things you can do this time of year is put a good layer of homemade compost, soil conditioner or farmyard manure on top of the soil. The compost will break down naturally over the winter and will be worked into the soil by the worms, improving soil structure and fertility.

There is a simple experiment you can try out in your garden: bury an old piece of cotton clothing and mark the area. When you return eight weeks later and dig it up, there should be nothing left of the cotton.

That will give you an indication of how good the condition of your soil is. If your soil is free-draining, with lots of microorganisms and worms, the cotton will be gone, indicating that your soil is in good condition.

You can improve soil by adding compost as above and if your soil is wet and heavy, the addition of some garden grit will help.

Remember, the PH level of your soil is paramount (that’s the amount of lime in your soil).

Lime is the key to soil fertility and it’s best applied in January or February. Always leave a few weeks between applying lime and applying fertiliser.