Life in the Soil

ever take a walk through a forest and then think back to your garden so why is one growing in the other not soil see in the forest soil there are some very important yet practically invisible populations that make the organic ecosystem what it is let's take a moment to meet just two important ones first is bacteria they act like tiny food storage banks for your plants so tiny up to 500 thousand can fit inside the period at the end of the sentence they are the Earth's primary decomposers of organic matter locking up nutrients close to the plants roots that might otherwise leech out when the bacteria die those nutrients are released to the plant a second key helper for plants is mycorrhizae this beneficial fungus lives symbiotically with the plants roots the roots provide the carbon the fungus needs to grow and the fungus transports water and nutrients beyond the reach of the roots sounds great right there's a problem though as humans we have a bad habit of unintentionally destroying everything around us including the populations within nature's fragile soil ecosystem so what well if soil is a plant's lifeblood dead soil creates real issues when the beneficial life in the soil that keeps harmful things in check is removed plant diseases and pests tend to proliferate not to mention dead soil holds less water and increases runoff this makes your watering efforts more expensive and less effective bottom line a dead soil ecosystem equals more work for you so why not let the soil help do the work for you if you want your garden to look more alive and be less of a chore try these four things number one think organically consider certified organic soils and fertilizers as an alternative to synthetic chemicals number two plant native the plants insects and soil microbes in your area all grew up together so a good way to create a hormone is guarded is to use plants that will fit in with the neighbors down below number three strive for five the u.s. composting council recommends five percent organic matter in the soil to promote microbe growth and improve soil structure so when planting or amending your beds mix one shovel full of organic soil with one shovel full of native soil number four remember three inches saves 30% applying a three inch layer of nutrient-rich organic material on top of your newly planted or amended garden beds can help retain up to 30% more water reducing water usage and saving money there is hope incorporate these things into your own gardening and you'll attract important organisms repair the web of life in your soil and build a garden that makes the most use of nature's own beautiful systems

Channel: Kellogg Garden Products

Views: 78,238

Rating: 4.8113208 out of 5

Keywords: Think Organically, Plant Native, Strive for 5, 3 saves 30, Composting Council, Life in the Soil, healthy soil, certified organic, Kellogg Garden, G&B Organics, Kellogg Garden Organics, Organic, Compost (Material), Flower, Green, Soil Science (Field Of Study)

Id: XapUm5n1zuM

Length: 3min 6sec (186 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 19 2015