HEALTHY SOIL THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL ORGANIC FARMING AND GARDENING

THE BASIC PRINCIPLE THAT ORGANIC FARMERS AND GARDENERS LIVE BY IS TO FEED THE SOIL, AND LET THE SOIL FEED THE PLANTS.

THE CHALLENGE FOR ORGANIC FARMERS AND GARDENERS IS TO BALANCE THE SOIL SO THAT IT PROVIDES ALL THE CONDITIONS PLANTS NEED TO THRIVE.

LOAM SOILS ARE GENERALLY CONSIDERED THE BEST FARM AND GARDEN SOILS THAT HAVE MODERATE AMOUNTS OF SAND, SILT, AND CLAY. SAND PARTICLES FROM 0.05 TO 2.0 mm SILT PARTICLES FROM TO 0.05 mm CLAY PARTICLES LESS THAN mm in diameter.

AFTER TESTING YOUR SOIL, YOU´LL KNOW WHAT PROBLEMS YOUR SOIL HAS, AND YOU CAN TAKE STEPS TO REMEDY THEM.

YOUR SOIL IMPROVEMENT PROCESS WILL INCLUDE ADDING ORGANIC MATTER AND OTHER SOIL AMENDMENTS.

WHILE YOU WORK ON PROVING YOUR SOIL, YOU MAY WANT TO USE ORGANIC FERTILIZERS TO BOOST PLANT PERFORMANCE.

SOIL IS AN INTRICATE MIX OF FINE ROCK PARTICLES, ORGANIC MATTER, WATER, AIR, MICROORGANISMS, AND OTHER ANIMALS.

A HEALTHY SOIL IS FULL OF LIVING THINGS: PLANT ROOTS, ANIMALS, INSECTS, BACTERIA, FUNGI, AND OTHER ORGANISMS.

MANAGING YOUR SOILS TO KEEP THIS LIVING SYSTEM THRIVING CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FARMING & GARDENING SUCCESS AND FAILURE.

SOIL TEXTURE IS THE RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF SAND, SILT, AND CLAY IN THE SOIL, AND INFLUENCES SOIL WATER RETENTION, AIR DRAINAGE, AND FERTILITY.

SOIL STRUCTURE IS THE ARRANGEMENT OF SOIL PARTICLES IN THE SOIL. THE BEST WAY TO IMPROVE SOIL STRUCTURE IS TO ADD ORGANIC MATTER - LOTS OF IT!

AIR AND WATER OXYGEN IS CRITICAL IN THE SOIL BECAUSE MANY BENEFICIAL SOIL ORGANISMS CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT IT!

GASEOUS NITROGEN, ANOTHER COMPONENT OF SOIL AIR, IS A RAW MATERIAL FOR NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIA THAT MANUFACTURE PROTEIN MATERIALS.

THESE ARE LATER BROKEN DOWN TO YIELD NITROGEN COMPOUNDS THAT CAN BE ABSORBED BY PLANT ROOTS. PLANT ROOTS ALSO ¨BREATHE¨ AND NEED GOOD AIR EXCHANGE BETWEEN SOIL AIR AND THE ATMOSPHERE FOR GOOD DEVELOPMENT.

WATER OCCUPIES SOIL PORE SPACE. PLANT ROOTS ABSORB THIS WATER AND PASS IT ON TO LEAVES AND STEMS, WHERE IT SERVES AS A NUTRIENT, A COOLANT, AND AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ALL PLANT CELLS.

WATER IS THE CARRIER FOR MINERAL NUTRIENTS, ALLOWING THEM TO ENTER PLANT ROOTS AND BE TRANSPORTED THROUGH THE PLANTS.

IF SOIL DOESN´T DRAIN WELL, WATER OCCUPIES ALL THE SOIL PORE SPACE. THIS SUFFOCATES THE PLANTS BECAUSE THEIR ROOTS CANNOT GET THE AIR THEY NEED.

SOIL PORE SPACES SHOULD VARY IN SIZE AND BE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED. SOIL WITH SUFFICIENT ORGANIC MATTER WILL HAVE THIS QUALITY.

WALKING ON THE SOIL OR DRIVING FIELD, YARD, AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT OVER IT CAN CAUSE THESE PORE SPACES TO COLLAPSE.

ORGANISMS THE LIVING ORGANISMS IN SOIL PLAY A VITAL ROLE. SOIL MICROORGANISMS POWER THE DECAY CYCLE - NATURE´S PERFECT SYSTEM FOR RECYCLING ORGANIC MATTER AND MAINTAINING HEALTHY SOILS.

SOIL MICROORGANISMS NEMATODES, PROTOZOA, FUNGI, BACTERIA, AND ACTINOMYCETES (THREADLIKE BACTERIA) THESE MICROORGANISMS CONVERT PLANT MATERIAL INTO HUMUS.

EARTHWORMS SERVE AS NATURAL ¨TILLERS¨ AND SOIL CONDITIONERS!

MANY SOIL-DWELLING INSECTS ARE PARASITES AND PREDATORS OF INSECT S THAT HARM CROP PLANTS.

SOIL ANIMALS, INCLUDING MUCH-MALIGNED MOLE, HELP IMPROVE SOIL AERATION AND EAT SOME HARMFUL INSECTS.

INVESTIGATING YOUR SOIL DO-IT-YOURSELF TESTS OBSERVATIONS OF THE SOIL THE SQUEEZE TEST: SAND FEELS GRITTY, SILT FEELS LIKE MOIST TALCUM POWDER, AND CLAY FEELS SLIPPERLY!

SQUEEZE THE SOIL BALL IN YOUR HAND, AND RELEASE. IF IT CRUMBES, IT HAS A REASONABLY BALANCED TEXTURE. IF THE SOIL BALL CAN HOLD ITS SHAPE, IT HAS A SUBSTANTIAL PERCENTAGE OF CLAY. IF YOU CAN ROLL IT INTO A SAUSAGE SHAPE, IT HAS EVEN MORE CLAY.

RUN THE PALM OF YOUR OTHER HAND FIRMLY OVER THE HANDFUL OF SOIL. IF YOU SEE SCRATCH MARKS ON THE SURFACE OF THE SOIL, THERE IS A SIZABLE PROPORTION OF SAND PRESENT. IF THE SOIL FEELS GREASY, THIS INDICATES SILT.

VIGOROUS PLANTS WITH STRONG AND DEEP ROOT SYSTEMS ARE AMONG THE BEST INDICATORS OF SOIL HEALTH.

DARK BROWNS, REDS, AND TANS INDICATE GOOD SOILS.

SOILS THAT HAVE A HIGH HUMUS CONTENT WILL USUALLY BE DARKER IN COLOR THAN SOILS LOW IN HUMUS.

TINGES OF BLUE AND GRAY INDICATE POOR AERATION, OFTEN THE RESULT OF POOR WATER DRAINAGE.

BROWN SOILS WILL DRAIN MUCH BETTER THAN GRAY-COLORED SOILS. BROWN AND RED COLORS REFLECT THE OXIDIZED IRON CONTENT OF THE SOIL.

USE MULCHES TO REDUCE WEED PROBLEMS AND CONSERVE SOIL MOISTURE, AVOID WALKING ON GROWING BEDS TO REDUCE COMPACTION, AND CULTIVATE SHALLOWLY WHEN WEEDS ARE SMALL.

PROBLEM SOILS – CLAY SOILS POORLY DRAINED SOILS

ADDING SAND ALONE WILL NOT REMEDY PROBLEMS WITH HEAVY CLAY! USING GREEN MANURES AND INCORPORATING ORGANIC MATTER ARE THE BEST LONG-TERM SOLUTION!

IF THE HARDPAN LAYER IS DEEPER THAN YOU CAN REACH BY DOUBLE DIGGING, TRY PLANTING DEEP-ROOTED SWEET CLOVER IN SPRING AND ALLOW IT TO GROW FOR TWO FULL GROWING SEASONS. THE ROOTS MAY PENETRATE THE DEEP HARDPAN AND NATURALLY CREATE BETTER DRAINAGE.

ANOTHER WAY TO SIDESTEP A DRAINAGE PROBLEM IS TO CREATE A RAISED BED IN THE WET AREA.

LASTLY, YOU CAN INSTALL A DRAINAGE SYSTEM TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM SOILS!

SOIL LIFE, INCLUDING MAMMALS, REPTILES, INSECTS, AND MICROORGANISMS, TRANSFORMS ORGANIC MATTER INTO NUTRIENTS THAT CAN BE TAKEN UP BY YOUR PLANTS.

THE DECAY CYCLE IN THE SOIL IN NATURE, WHEN PLANTS DIE, THEY ARE RETURNED TO THE SOIL VIA THE DECAY PROCESS. MITES, BEETLES, MILLIPEDES, EARTHWORMS, BACTERIA, AND FUNGI FEED ON THE DEAD AND DYING TISSUES. THESE ORGANISMS PHYSICALLY AND CHEMICALLY BREAK THE PLANT TISSUES DOWN INTO SIMPLER COMPONENTS.

THE WASTE PRODUCTS, AND IN THEIR TURN, THE DEAD BODIES OF THE SOIL-DWELLING ANIMALS & MICROORGANISMS BECOME PART OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER.

PROTEINS ARE CONVERTED TO SIMPLE NITROGEN COMPOUNDS THAT CAN BE ABSORBED BY PLANT ROOTS. MINERALS SUCH AS PHOSPHORUS, POTASSIUM, AND CALCIUM ARE CHANGED INTO SOLUBLE COMPOUNDS THAT ARE THEN ABSORBED BY ROOT CELLS AND USED BY NEW GROWING PLANTS.

SOIL COMPONENTS - 50% SOIL SOLIDS 50% PORE SPACE SOIL SOLIDS - 45% MINERALS 5% ORGANIC MATTER PORE SPACE - 25% AIR 25% WATER

SOIL IS NEARLY HALF MINERALS AND HALF WATER AND AIR. ORGANIC MATTER MAKES UP ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE SOIL.

FOR SUCCESSFUL FARMERS AND GARDENERS, MAINTAINING ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT IS CRITICAL!

GRACIAS!