Soil

I can't emphasize enough how important your soil is to your plants. Synthetic gardening is based on feeding the plants, but organic gardening is based on building and feeding the soil. Healthy soil leads to healthy plants. And healthy plants fight disease and insects better than weak plants. It's analogous to your own health. If you survive on a diet of junk food and pills, you won't be nearly as healthy as someone who eats whole grains, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. Your body needs the different nutrients, fibers, vitamins and minerals found in fresh whole foods, but lacking in pills. Similarly, your plants need the nutrients, fungi, bacteria, minerals and trace elements found in healthy soil, but lacking in a bag of green crystals.

Lets start with what exactly is soil. Most people think of soil as ground up rocks. But soil is much much more. It's a complex ecosystem that depends on a balance of water, air, organic mater and minerals.

Minerals are those tiny pieces of rock that most of us think of as dirt. There are three sizes of mineral particles: Sand (between .05 and 2 mm); silt (between .002 and .05 mm); and clay particles (smaller than .002 mm). To hear most gardeners talk, the only size particle found on earth is clay. Clay is not all bad. It holds nutrients and water very well. Sand helps with drainage because the particles are so large. Good garden soil has a balance of these different particles. If you have too much of one type, adding organic matter will usually help.

There is also air in your soil. A healthy soil has about 25% air. The air is found in pockets between the minerals and organic matter. If you don't have enough air, your roots will not be healthy. Air can be forced out because of too much water. Water is also a necessary ingredient for soil. About 25%of soil is water. Water is necessary for plant growth. Plants need it just like we do. Water also carries nutrients through the soil. Organic matter is a requisite for healthy garden soil. It holds water, stabilizes the soil, holds nutrients and provides food for soil organisms. You soil should have between 3 and 6% organic matter.

All the microorganisms in your soil help your plants. Don't be afraid of insects, bacteria or fungi in your soil. The vast majority are benign or helpful to your garden. The fungi and bacteria in the soil help feed your plants, by breaking down dead organisms and creating molecule your plants can use. They store and transport nutrients to the roots. Soil organisms store nutrients simply by existing. As they die, the nutrients are recycled by other organisms. Something is always dying, so the nutrients are always available to be used by your plants or other organisms.

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