Gardening is good for your health

A new report from Cancer Research has concluded that an active lifestyle such as doing gardening, housework and brisk walking helps to reduce the chance of getting breast cancer.

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/pressrelease/an-active-lifestyle-reduces-breast-cancer-risk-12-09-04

The government recommends we do 150 minutes a week of moderate physical activity – such as brisk walking. But only 39 per cent of men and 29 per cent of women are managing this.

Sara Hiom, director of information at Cancer Research UK, said “You don’t need to train like an Olympic athlete but the excitement of watching team GB win so many golds might have inspired some of us to spend less time on the sofa. And, as this research confirms, exercise can include anything that leaves you slightly out of breath like doing the gardening, walking the dog or housework.”

“Keeping active could help prevent more than 3,000 cases of cancer in the UK every year. And it can have a positive effect on your health"

So with that in mind, here’s some information on how you can get digging with our Garden Compost and improve your health and garden at the same time.

 How to use Garden Compost...

It is our most universal and widely used product.
Dig it in to the soil for immediate benefits to the soil characteristics.

For first use on heavy, undisturbed soils, double-dig the ground to break up any soil lumps and incorporate the Garden Compost evenly throughout the soil, from the bottom of the trench up to the soil surface. Aim to incorporate approximately a depth of 150 - 200mm of Garden Compost into the top 300 – 400mm of heavy soil.

For lighter cultivations on pre-established beds or sandy soils, dig a depth of approximately 70 - 100mm of Garden Compost into the top fork depth of soil to continue to build soil humus and structure year on year.

The Garden Compost is also commonly used for mulching, particularly around smaller shrubs and beds where a coarser mulch may be unsuitable. Apply approximately 50 – 80mm in depth of soil conditioner around the base of bushes and plants to benefit the plant, suppress weeds and feed the topsoil. For more information on mulching, see mulches.
For maximum benefits, mix in with soil. Do not plant directly into a Garden Compost alone, this is not the same as a ‘multipurpose or potting compost’. For composts suitable for use in pots, see ...

When to use Garden Compost...

Garden Compost is best incorporated with soils from late autumn through to spring and left to settle for a couple of weeks before planting. It is suitable for use with light cultivations and mulching all year round.

5th September 2012

Back to news