Feed and protect soil life and plants thrive in that soil. A single teaspoon (1 gram) of rich garden soil can hold up to one billion bacteria, several yards of fungal filaments, several thousand protozoa, and scores of nematodes.
Healthy Soil = Healthy Plants = Nourishing Food = Good Health.
Plants in sterile soil perform poorly. Unhealthy plants are more prone to pest and disease problems, just as unhealthy food leaves us more prone to disease and malnourishment.
So what are superb soils?
- They feel crumbly and moist.
- They smell earthy.
- Their structure is open allowing movement of air, water and
nutrients to plant roots.
- They are full of diverse and abundant life.
Plants in real soil - superb alive soils - are supported by the web of life in the soil, in particular, fungus. 90% of plants rely on fungus to access most of the nutrients and moisture they need - the fungal filaments are like root extensions. They go finer, further and deeper than roots could ever go. So plants and fungus live in symbiosis - a mutually supportive relationship - and plants in this relationship are stronger and more resilient.
The base of the soil food web is organic matter. More organic matter = more soil life. The two main things that support beneficial bacterial and fungal growth in the soil are: organic matter and protection from the elements, this also supports the flourishing of the entire soil food web.
tillage damages the fungi - it severs the fungal threads
fungicides and pesticides kill the good fungus, bacterias and bugs
lack of organic matter - no food for soil life
no soil protection - over-exposure to sun, rain and wind kills soil life
5 Simple Strategies to Feed and Protect Soils
1. Activate your soil with compost.
2. Add compost worms to garden ecosystem.
3. Add organic matter, compost and leafy greens to garden
4. Plant deep rooted plants
5. Regularly chop and drop organic matter.
HOW EARTHWORMS FERTILIZE SOIL ?
"It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as these lowly ... creatures." That's what Charles Darwin said about earthworms.
On small farms and in gardens, a legless invertebrate has been quietly helping crops grow — simply by eating and pooping.
That's vermi composting — using the power of worms for the good of humanity. A growing number of advocates believe this technique can improve soil quality, produce more food to feed hungry mouths and even increase income for some farmers.
Unlike traditional composting, which depends on microorganisms to decompose organic matter and create heat that kills pathogens and weeds, vermicomposting requires cooler temperatures to ensure the survival of earthworms, which do all the work.
Inside a vermicompost bin, worms eat both microorganisms and bits of organic material, which can come from food waste, animal manure, aquatic weeds and other sources.Once ingested, those natural materials get ground up by the worm's gizzard and separated considerably more by proteins and organisms in the worm's gut. What turns out the flip side is abounding with supplements and microscopic organisms that are advantageous for plants, alongside important plant development hormones and humic acids that upgrade plant development.
Healthy Soil = Healthy Plants = Nourishing Food = Good Health.
Plants in sterile soil perform poorly. Unhealthy plants are more prone to pest and disease problems, just as unhealthy food leaves us more prone to disease and malnourishment.
So what are superb soils?
- They feel crumbly and moist.
- They smell earthy.
- Their structure is open allowing movement of air, water and
nutrients to plant roots.
- They are full of diverse and abundant life.
Plants in real soil - superb alive soils - are supported by the web of life in the soil, in particular, fungus. 90% of plants rely on fungus to access most of the nutrients and moisture they need - the fungal filaments are like root extensions. They go finer, further and deeper than roots could ever go. So plants and fungus live in symbiosis - a mutually supportive relationship - and plants in this relationship are stronger and more resilient.
The base of the soil food web is organic matter. More organic matter = more soil life. The two main things that support beneficial bacterial and fungal growth in the soil are: organic matter and protection from the elements, this also supports the flourishing of the entire soil food web.
tillage damages the fungi - it severs the fungal threads
fungicides and pesticides kill the good fungus, bacterias and bugs
lack of organic matter - no food for soil life
no soil protection - over-exposure to sun, rain and wind kills soil life
5 Simple Strategies to Feed and Protect Soils
1. Activate your soil with compost.
2. Add compost worms to garden ecosystem.
3. Add organic matter, compost and leafy greens to garden
4. Plant deep rooted plants
5. Regularly chop and drop organic matter.
HOW EARTHWORMS FERTILIZE SOIL ?
"It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as these lowly ... creatures." That's what Charles Darwin said about earthworms.
On small farms and in gardens, a legless invertebrate has been quietly helping crops grow — simply by eating and pooping.
That's vermi composting — using the power of worms for the good of humanity. A growing number of advocates believe this technique can improve soil quality, produce more food to feed hungry mouths and even increase income for some farmers.
Unlike traditional composting, which depends on microorganisms to decompose organic matter and create heat that kills pathogens and weeds, vermicomposting requires cooler temperatures to ensure the survival of earthworms, which do all the work.
Inside a vermicompost bin, worms eat both microorganisms and bits of organic material, which can come from food waste, animal manure, aquatic weeds and other sources.Once ingested, those natural materials get ground up by the worm's gizzard and separated considerably more by proteins and organisms in the worm's gut. What turns out the flip side is abounding with supplements and microscopic organisms that are advantageous for plants, alongside important plant development hormones and humic acids that upgrade plant development.
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