What if the secret to a healthier garden was already alive beneath your boots? Soil is packed with microbes doing the hard work, improving structure, feeding plants and even helping store carbon. The trick is learning how to support them, and that is exactly what new research at RHS Wisley is all about.
The project is exploring how different gardening choices affect soil health in real, measurable ways. From biostimulants that give microbes a quick energy boost, to lawn seed mixes designed to save or store carbon, the trials look at how fast soils can improve and what really makes a difference. Importantly, it also considers how soil type changes the results, because clay, sand and loam all behave differently.
The aim is practical advice gardeners can trust. Less guesswork, fewer unnecessary inputs and more sustainable gardens overall.
Read more about the RHS Soil Health Project here
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Rhs.org.uk. (2025). Accessed 16/01/2026