If you are adding compost, mulching, or avoiding chemical fertilizers, then you are probably already doing much to improve your soils health. By learning how these actions affect your garden, you can better trust your own reasoning and intuition to guide your relationship with soil life.
Compost is organic matter that has been broken down by microbes so that its’ energy is stored for further use. Applying it to your garden ads colonies of diverse organisms to the soil. It also supplies a new food source for existing colonies. There is much variation in qualities compost can posses. For instance, the debris that comprises the compost should be fully broken down and unrecognizable. It should have a deep brown color and rich but subtle smell. If it smells strong than it is probably potent in some way. If it smells rotten, than it could add problems to your soil. Many methods of producing compost can yield different results, but remember: We evolved with these microbes, plants, and soils as well. Your senses can be the best judge of the quality of compost.
Compost tea is a brew of oxygen rich water, high quality compost, and some foods to help microbes bloom in population. The goal of good CT is to substantially multiply the beneficial organisms. They can then be used to coat leaf surfaces, inoculate compost, and restore or improve soil health. A bio-film of CT on leaf surfaces can keep pathogens from reaching the plant as a food source. The microbes also respire CO2 that helps fuel plant metabolism. Use of tea in compost or soil can drastically increase the biomass of healthy life that stores and converts energy.
Most plants in the Earths’ soils have evolved to have a mycorrhizal relationship with Fungi. This is when a specialized species of fungi attaches to the root of a plant, and directly exchanges nutrients in the soil for foods from the plant. The fungi use enzymes and organic acids to break down minerals in the soil and draw them into the plants roots. The fungal hyphae (strands of cells that form the organism) can multiply the water-absorbing surface area of the root zone by hundreds of times. Use of mycorrhizal fungi spores can greatly increase your plants access to water and nutrients.
Many of the nutrients locked within our soils are in the form of minerals. Some are readily available to plants, while others need the help of microbes to unlock their energy. When we harvest from our gardens, we deplete the nutrients made available from organic matter and minerals. We usually replenish organic matter in the form of compost or fertilizers. It is also good to add minerals while restoring fertility to your soil.
Mulch can be a useful tool for dealing with a number of garden issues. It can keep moisture in the soil, prevent weeds from sprouting, and be a food source for the microbes in your garden. Mulch should be layered thick enough to accomplish these tasks but loose enough to allow for the flow of oxygen. It can take many forms and each posses unique functions. Try different materials and decide for yourself what’s best for your garden.
Tilling your soil can destroy fungal colonies, damage bacteria, and release precious nutrients back into the air. Sometimes it is necessary while rehabilitating a landscape to till the damaged soil. Compost and Compost Tea should be applied soon after to inoculate the soil and restore its’ composition. Hand picking weeds, cover cropping and mulch can be useful alternatives to annual tilling. When it comes to tillage, less is more.
Everything you do to your garden affects microbial life. With little effort, you can enhance this life for the benefit of your garden, your health, and your environment.