How to Improve New Build Garden Soil

If you’ve moved into a new build, you’ll know the struggle: heavy, compacted soil that feels more like rubble than earth. Builders often strip away topsoil, leaving subsoil mixed with stones and clay. Weeds take advantage, while the plants you actually want limp along.

But don’t despair. With a few simple, sustainable steps, you can turn even the toughest patch into a productive, low-maintenance garden.

Step 1: Don’t dig — cover

Digging compacted soil just makes things worse. Instead, use the “no-dig” approach:

• Lay cardboard directly on the soil.

• Add a thick layer of compost or well-rotted manure on top.

• Let worms and microbes do the hard work of breaking down and improving the soil beneath.

This builds healthy soil structure without back-breaking labour.

Step 2: Plant the right pioneers

Some plants thrive where others struggle. These “pioneer” species break up soil, add organic matter, and make way for more demanding crops later. Great choices include:

• Comfrey ‘Bocking 14’ – deep roots mine nutrients, leaves make natural fertiliser.

• Sea buckthorn – tough shrub that tolerates poor soil and fixes nitrogen.

• Currants and gooseberries – reliable, resilient fruit shrubs.

Step 3: Mulch every year

Keep feeding the soil surface with organic matter — compost, bark, leaf mould. Each layer builds fertility, protects soil life, and reduces weeds. Over time, your soil transforms from lifeless clay to crumbly, productive earth.

Step 4: Add perennials, not just annuals

Perennial plants are key in poor soils. They:

• Put down deep roots that improve drainage.

• Stay put for years, reducing soil disturbance.

• Provide food and beauty with minimal input.

Think sea holly, echinacea and verbena. They’re low-maintenance, tough, and productive — ideal for a new build plot. What's more they actually LOVE low-nutrient, free-draining soil. 

Step 5: Work with microclimates

Even on the poorest site, different spots behave differently — damp shady corners, dry sunny strips, wind tunnels between fences. Match plants to these microclimates and they’ll thrive where generalist choices fail. (I break this down in detail in the Self-Sustaining Garden course.)

The long-term payoff

Improving new build soil isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about setting up a system that gets better every year. With the right prep, plants, and mulching, your “builder’s rubble” will evolve into a living, self-sustaining garden that’s easy to care for and rich in biodiversity.

Next steps

• Download the free guide: Plants that Love Newbuild Gardens for a step-by-step plan to choose the right plants.

• Want to create a garden that looks after itself? The Self-Sustaining Garden course shows you how to turn poor soil into a productive, low-maintenance ecosystem.