Plant your undies to check how healthy your soil is for National Garden Week

Underwear ready to be placed in soil. Photo/Supplied

Soil is not only the foundation to a healthy productive garden but life itself and building healthy soil is as simple as soiling your undies.

National Garden Week is held from October 17-24.

This year plant a pair of undies to find out how healthy your soil is. Burying 100 per cent cotton underwear for a couple of months is an easy and effective way of measuring soil health. The more threadbare the undies, the more micro-organisms in the soil, meaning the healthier the soil.

The call is out for Kiwis to soil their undies and be in to win this National Gardening Week.

The process is simple:
1. Plant a pair of new, cotton underwear horizontally about 3 inches deep in the site you're curious about and mark the spot.
2. Wait at least 60 days. This gives your soil microbes time to work their magic! Then dig the undies back up.
3. Send in a photo of your 'harvest' with your name, address and phone number to soilyourundies@yates.co.nz between October 11 and 18 and be in to win some great prizes for the most soiled undies, the biggest undies and the oddest undies.

Every entrant receives a free packet of Yates vege seeds, limited to the first 2000 entries.

And then be in to win a Yates Seduce your Soil prize pack, valued at over $220, to help you create healthy soil for optimum growing conditions for your plants. The prize includes:

National Gardening Week prize pack for 2022. Photo/Supplied

•Thrive Natural Organic Blood and Bone to fertilise, improve soil structure and provide natural organic nutrients.
•Thrive Natural Organic Garden Lime to encourage decomposition of organic matter and earthworm activity.
•Yates Nature's Way Compost Maker turns garden and kitchen waste into rich, nutritious compost – fast.
•A stylish compost caddy to collect household scraps ready for the compost bin (random colour assigned of cream, grey, navy and black)
•Thrive Natural Fish & Seaweed Plus - both nourishes plants and enrich the soil, including microbe & earthworm activity
•Thrive Natural Seaweed – a tonic for plant and root health.
•Thrive Natural liquid fertilisers for citrus and fruit and veggie and herbs.
•Yates Garden Guide – a newly updated edition of the gardener's bible, for both beginners and seasoned green thumbs.
•A selection of Yates organic vege seeds.

Yates spokeswoman Fiona Arthur says soiling your undies is a fun way to make sure you've got the best soil for optimum growing conditions this spring and summer.

"Creating healthy soil is as easy as feeding your soil with organic matter such as composted food scraps, grass clippings, leaves, sheep or horse poo and seaweed.

"Then add blood and bone to fertilise, improve soil structure and provide natural organic nutrients and lime encourages decomposition of organic matter and earthworm activity.

"You'll not only have great growing conditions for your plants but you'll be helping nature and reducing your carbon footprint as healthy soil banks carbon," says Fiona.

National Gardening Week aims to foster a love of gardening with a focus on growing not only plants but friendships, good health, strong communities and closer connections with nature. Whether it's a few pots on the balcony, a small patch or an extensive garden, everyone can experience the joy of gardening.