Let’s get down and dirty and talk about soil

Glorious wonderful soil

GARDENING SOIL LET'S GET DOWN AND DIRTY.... AND Talk About Soil!

By Gilda Galvad

SOIL - Our lives depend on it! You may think that sounds dramatic, but just consider, that without soil we cannot grow nutritious food.... good soil is vital for healthy plant growth.

There are many parts to soil, and so many residents in soil, and we hardly consider what a delicious humus filled soil can, and does do, for us.

Firstly, did you know that walking on the ground, the bare ground that is, not your paving or concrete or wooden deck, is actually good for your health? Your skin absorbs vitamins from the soil (like when you work in your garden without gloves on) and the electricity of your body is reset from the earth's electrical vibrations. How cool is that? Just by going for a walk on the ground. Oh and then of course there is the advantage of breathing fresh air by being outside for a change, instead of in front of the computer or TV - another big gain.

LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT SOIL.

There are a few layers to soil, and the deepest layer is rock and the layer right on the top is called topsoil, which is only about 5 - 8 cm. The part of the soil that is essential to grow good food in, is the top soil, which is the part of the soil that contains the most nutrients. Organic matter is in the top soil, and it is usually dark brown or black. There are many different coloured soils, and one cannot assume the nutrient value of soil by looking at it's colour. The colours are mainly produced by the different minerals found within that soil. Top soil, throughout the world has diminished by about a third since 1970, and it is essential that we grow our soil so that we are able to continue to grow food. The depletion of our top soil is mainly due to a few major factors ie soil erosion, long term intensive agricultural cultivation, compaction, deforestation, over grazing, over cropping and other causes.

Good soil is measured on a few basic requirements, besides the most important, which is it's nutrient content, such as porosity, permeability, alkalinity or acidity, texture, etc. Porosity is the amount of space in the soil for the presence of water and air. Permeability is the ability for the transmission of fluids within the soil. Soil with a pH which is too low, would be acidic and only acid loving plants would grow successfully in that soil. Vegetables do not like an acidic soil. The neutral pH of soil is 6.5 to 7.5.

HELP!

So how do we improve the position of soil that we have control over? Remember the condition of your soil affects the ability of your plants to grow. The nutrients (and anything else) in the soil is also absorbed by the plants, gives the plants their immunity and enters your body, supplying it with nutritional food and building your immune system. Obviously chemical fertilizers and pesticides are entering your body through the plants and any thing else, that you eat. That is why you should grow your own food organically.

Soil for food needs to be rich in humus, (like the soil on a forest floor), organic matter, minerals and vitamins. These are present in the soil through plant material like old leaves, compost, bacterial waste, macro and micro-organisms, carbon, nitrogen, and many more minerals. The texture of the soil should be loamy, which is loose and soft, so that the roots of the plants can easily push through the soil, and the porosity should provide the oxygen and water availibility.

Clay soil will not allow water to drain easily and can create an anaerobic environment, which will hold water without oxygen, and will not absorb water and hold nutrients. Sandy soil will not hold the nutrients and water needed and they will simply pass through the sand.

ACTION NEEDED

By adding organic matter to your soil in the form of dead leaves, cut grass loosely spread (without seeds), well aged animal manure, that comes from places that do not inoculate the animals with antibiotics, not standing on your beds which would cause compaction of soil, and not digging and turning the soil over. This action places the top soil underground and raises the micro inhabitants of the soil to the surface, which is not the place they should be. It is a good idea to keep your soil covered by using mulch, if you have no crops growing in the soil at any given time, grow a green manure. Legumes are nitrogen fixers and are a wonderful addition, and plants like comfrey are dynamic accumulators, which draw the best nutrients up from the soil. You can even cover the soil with plastic or cardboard. This will prevent wind blowing your top soil away, prevent the rain washing it away, and anything walking on it and compacting it. Rotate your crops that you plant. This will ensure that you do not deplete the soil of any specific nutrients.

Make huge amounts of compost and add it regularly to your soil. Invest in a Bokashi bin in addition to your compost heap (or if you don't have the space for a compost heap) and keep it in your kitchen. 68