Each time you enter your backyard, you’re treading on the most advanced biological factory known to man. Each healthy teaspoon of soil contains more than one billion microorganisms which are constantly busy in the decomposition of organic material, nutrient cycling, and environment creation for your plants’ healthy growth. This underground ecosystem is unrivaled and so complex that each year, scientists are still discovering new organisms and relationships within the soil.
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Check PriceThe Underground City inside of Your Garden
Imagine your soil is a busy city with different areas. In the bacteria area, you can find decomposers who turn dead plants into nutrients for plants to use. In the fungi area, there are long threads of fungi that connect the plants to help them communicate and share resources. In the invertebrate area, there are earthworms, nematodes, and arthropods who act as the workers and recycling centers.
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These organisms do not do things alone, and are now partnered together – a collaboration that rivals a human contract. Mycorrhizal fungi join with the roots of a plant and extend their reach (the plant's reach) up to a hundred fold, and in return, the plant will give them sugars. Within the root nodules, nitrogen-fixing bacteria work to transforma nitrogen gas in the atmosphere to a usable form for the plants. At the same time, harmful bacteria in the soil are consumed by predatory nematodes and, in addition to their role of controlling bad bacteria, also help with biological pest control.
Most gardens are starving their soil workers
American gardens are often considered to be unfriendly to the life found within the soil. Most people use chemical fertilizers, which while giving nutrients to the plants, can also kill the beneficial bacteria found in the soil. Tilling breaks apart and destroys the networks of the soil fungi and the soil structures that the invertebrates depend on for their habitats, and synthetic pesticides wipe out entire communities of the helpful organisms in the soil along with the pests that may be in the area.
Many gardeners unknowingly create food deserts for soil organisms. Soil that is left bare bakes in the sun and kills surface microbial life. Removing all plant debris strips away the organic matter that sustains the decomposer community. Regular watering without organic amendments washes away the very nutrients these organisms need to survive.
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The first step in creating thriving soil biology is feeding your workers properly. A two-inch layer of compost should be applied in the spring and in the fall when biological activity is at its peak and soil organisms need the nutrients and the beneficial microbes that compost provides.
Living root systems feed some of the beneficial bacteria present in the soil, and organic mulch as it decays will feed some of the long-lasting, nutritive fungi and small animals. Cover crops, as well as mulch, provide continuous 24/7 nourishment for life in the soil. Using shredded leaves, straws, and wood chips will help to feed various organisms.
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The No-Till Revolution
Leaving the rototiller behind is a great step towards the improvement of soil biology. Vital soil biological systems include networks of mycorrhizal fungi. These systems take years to develop, but one session of tilling will wipe them out. Instead, consider using broadforks to lightly loosen any areas that have become compacted, but don’t destroy the living, biological networks.
To prevent soil compaction from walking on your beds, consider using permanent beds. Stepping stones or mulch pathways help keep foot traffic areas separated from the growing zones to create clear boundaries. The organisms in your soil need space to move, respire, and develop their communities.
Soil Health for Natural Pest Management
There is no chemical spray that can provide the pest protection that healthy soil biology can offer. Disease-causing organisms can be outnumbered and outcompeted by beneficial bacteria and fungi. Root-feeding pests are hunted by predatory nematodes, and surface insects are patrolled for by arthropods.
A soil rich in biological activity is how plants work together via fungal networks to warn other adjacent plants of insect predators through chemical signals. This underground internet gives plants the ability to bolster their natural defenses while pests are near, which provides widespread defense throughout the garden that synthetic treatments will never achieve.
Feeding the Workers: Strategy of the Organic Amendment
Different organisms benefit from different food sources, so your organic amendments should be varied. Bacteria are stimulated by nitrogen-rich materials like grass clippings and coffee grounds. Fungi respond better to carbon-rich materials such as fallen leaves, wood chips, and paper. Kitchen scraps and partially decomposed, aged manure are loved by earthworms.
Establish feeding stations in your garden by using different amendments in different areas. This creates the greatest beneficial organisms and prevents any one species from dominating your soil ecosystem.
Water Management for Subsidence Communities
Soil organisms require moisture retention, but they also cannot be in standing water. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses can be installed as they will provide consistent gentle watering without disrupting surface communities. Additionally, the organisms that colonize the deeper layers of soils will have a more diverse ecosystem to work with. This is a result of vertically deep watering being done infrequently.
Instead of watering more frequently during dry periods, try using organic mulch to retain moisture. This method supports the development of mycorrhizal fungi, which can improve the soil for a very long time.
The Soil Biology Calendar
When you know the seasonal patterns, you can better assist your soil workers. As the temperatures warm and moisture increases in Spring, bacterial populations increase. This is the ideal time to add compost that is rich in nitrogen and start cover crops.
As woody materials start to decay, fungal activity increases. Use weed species (beneficial) such as comfrey or nettle in untreated sections & also use mulching techniques using carbon-rich materials. The most significant input of organic matter occurs in autumn as leaves fall and plants senesce. This season prepares your soil biology for the winter and the coming spring growth.
The ecosystem of your soil is the most important part for your success in the garden. When you understand and support your invisible partners, you are not just growing plants, you are growing a living system that is more productive and more resilient year after year. The biology of soil that you invest in now will continue to produce for decades and will create gardens that nearly take care of themselves and produce the healthiest plants and the largest harvests you have ever seen.
