The Dance of Succession

bacteria. As these bacteria live and die, they provide biomass for other types of bacteria, who in turn produce food resources for organisms like mosses and lichens. These leave behind biomass that can support early successional fungi, providing the perfect environment for weeds to move in. With their quick growth cycles and rapid seed dispersal, dead weeds bring enough cellulose to the soil to attract the microbiology which allows for early successional plants to emerge – early grasses, brassicas, riparian and wetland plants.

As cellulose continues to increase, so does fungal biomass. This paves the way for weed suppression and the emergence of highly productive grasses, row crops, perennial herbs. Lignin is brought to the soil, now feeding more fungi than bacteria. The ratio tips further as we move to woodier plants such as grapevines, berries and shrubs. The more woody and complex these plant materials become, the further the dance toward fungal levels that can support deciduous trees, conifers, and on to old growth forest.

We can speed up this process, and use this knowledge to regenerate soils. To begin, we want to know how many organisms are present, whether they are beneficial, and how the ratio of fungi to bacteria compares to where our plant lies along the successional path. Bring a sample to Seedy Saturday (Cobble Hill) or Seedy Sunday (Duncan) and let’s take a peek at who’s home in your soil!

Bring in Your Soil Sample

Which microorganisms are hanging out in your soil or compost this spring? How might they be helping or hindering the plants you want to grow? Amy will be at Seedy Saturday in Cobble Hill (March 11, 10-2) and Seedy Sunday in Duncan (March 19, 10-2) with her microscope, ready to introduce you to these cool little critters, answer questions, and chat about the Soil Food Web. For instructions on collecting your sample, visit www.springhillsoil-lab.ca. See you there!

To Till or Not to Till?

That is the question you may be asking yourself at this time of year when the soil is starting to warm up and we are busy starting our veggie seeds. With any luck, your veggie garden consists of raised beds with good drainage and have been covered since the fall with a 1-2 inch layer of mulch. Covering with mulch insulates any overwintering plant roots, keeps the soil organisms warmer, reduces nutrient loss over winter and compaction from rainfall.

Now that it is planting time, what is a veggie gardener to do?

Tilling is defined as preparing land for raising crops and can encompass anything from plowing, rototilling, digging, turning or otherwise breaking up the soil. Tilling by plow is a common agricultural technique and as is turning over garden soil with a shovel or pitchfork in home gardens. Tilling is often practiced with the goals of loosening the soil so plant roots can grow more easily, efficiently mixing amendments like compost, fertilizer and lime into the topsoil and aerating the soil to improve drainage and gas exchange around the rooting zone.

If you have a veggie garden you have been building up for several years by adding quality compost and amendments, you likely have soil with a good structure. This means the sand, silt and clay particles and organic matter are loosely bound together as soil aggregates with space between them for air and water to flow through. Turning a soil with good structure can break up these aggregates and actually reduce the soil drainage and aeration capacity. It can also enable the soil carbon within the aggregates to be mineralized by microorganisms then released as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Turning soil over may disturb the soil ecosystem. Soil organisms tend to be most abundant near the soil surface, as this area is warmer and better aerated than deeper layers. Turning over soil moves these organisms deeper, which may damage them.

So, to till or not to till? It depends! If you are developing a new veggie garden in poor quality soil (e.g. builder’s fill), or heavy clay soil, tilling in the first few years will help incorporate organic matter and amendments (especially lime) into deeper soil layers more quickly than without tilling, which will in time lead to better soil structure. Tilling in organic matter will also help loosen and build structure in heavily compacted soil. If your veggie garden is wellestablished with many seasons of organic matter additions it is probably healthy with good structure. In this case, consider leaving the shovel behind and simply loosen the soil gently before planting. This will keep the structure intact and the soil organisms happy!

Tamara Dinter, Dinter Nursery General Manager and Soil Enthu-

New Arrivals

by Gail Johnson and Lynn Harnish at Aquamaris Art Gallery

A Thriving Arts and Cultural Community

Commanding attention with their dazzling presence, and enticing a viewer to meander through the sun-kissed fields of luxuriously textured abstracted poppies, “Meadow Hike” and “Walk of Life” are two grand new arrivals by Gail Johnson. As the contemporary impressionist artist, Gail is revered for her interpretations of this beloved subject matter, her saturated palette and bold-brush style.

Enraptured in the colour of passion, Gail’s paintings set the tone for a suite of smaller new arrivals, each holding their stage. Highlighted among them are abstracted paintings by the Cowichan

Valley artist Lynn Harnish. Softer in palette, yet rich in visual texture, Lynn’s never before shown gem of a painting titled “No Regrets” reflects on her artistic evolution that lead her thought the period of deep fascination with the encaustic process to finding her creative muse in the layers of cold wax mixed media. Reminiscent of a waterscape, it draws a viewer into delightfully interlaced passages of Payne’s grey, creamy whites and fresh greens enlivened by impassioned bursts of flaming orange and deep red.

With the colour red threading through so many inspiring pieces currently available in our gallery, they all join in harmony to infuse with vibrancy and brightness the days that lead us out of our winter blues.

Upstairs in the historic