Cultivating Healthy Soil

Cultivating healthy soil helps support growing plants, as we know. But, it’s not all about the plants, it’s about stewarding a balanced ecosystem. While mother nature is brilliant when left to her own devices, as gardeners we are actively tending a growing space and can do a few simple things to help cultivate a dynamic microclimate. Healthy and robust soil is the foundation of any growing space. In fact, when you water, think of watering the soil which will in turn share its water with the plants - that’s how much of a focus we should have on our soil. 

In our gardens we are, of course, aiming to create good soil tilth, which is the soil’s capacity to support plant growth. Soil needs air, water, and organic matter. Air flow is essential in healthy soil so that it can maintain its structure. Plants actually breathe underground as the oxygen in the soil is taken up by the roots of the plants. Compacted soil can be a significant issue in our gardens and is often the cause of plant damage and crop failure. Water helps maintain the structure of our soils by breaking up clods, providing a supportive milieu for decomposition, regulating nutrient delivery to plants, and supporting microbial life. The organic matter in soil is made up of several components including living organisms and roots, residues from dead plants, animals, and soil organisms that have not yet begun to decompose. A significant portion of organic matter in soil is made up of these same residues that are undergoing rapid decomposition, but the largest component to healthy soil is the stabilized organic matter remaining after further decomposition by soil microorganisms. This last component is called humus and has the longest lasting benefit for growers. 

Humus improves soil structure by binding together sandy soil and creating better aeration for clayey soil. It breaks up clay and clods. Humus holds 6 times its weight in water. As humus soaks up water, it regulates the supply to plants. Humus helps form a loose, healthy soil that allows air and water to penetrate in order to exchange nutrients with plants. Humus is a storehouse for nitrogen. Since nitrogen is tied up in the compost breakdown process, it doesn’t leach out or oxidize into the air. Humus creates optimal conditions for microbial life in the soil.

You can support the development of humus in your own soil by composting, rotating your crops, companion planting, and growing compost crops. Mulch your beds, water effectively, avoid unnecessary rototilling, avoid pesticides if possible, and avoid plastic sheets under rock mulch. See our blog posts on composting, crop rotation, and mulching (and more to come!) for additional information.