The Dirt on Dirt

Soil - The World Beneath Your Feet

by bentan

Soil is a mixture of tiny rock particles, living organisms, chemicals and the remains of dead plants and animals. Spaces between the particles will also contain a certain amount of air and water depending on the type of soil.

Weathering Process

Rocks near the earth's surface are slowly broken down in nature by a process called weathering. Eventually small particles such as sand, silt and clay are formed. These particles create the environment for billions of mostly tiny organisms to live. Larger organisms such as earthworms and insects are also found in soil. A healthy soil is teeming with life.

Soil Health Management

The main aim as a hobby farmer is thus to try to improve soil health by good management. Poor management can lead to a loss of fertility and degradation of the soil. In extreme cases the valuable topsoil can also be blown or washed away. In the end poor soils lead to low quality crops lacking in nutrition.

Below are examples of some checks I plan to carry out on my hobby farm with the aim of improving soil fertility.

Soil pH Test

Carry out a pH test in different places. This test will determine if the soil is acid, alkaline or neutral. Most plants prefer a pH level around 6.5. Should the pH level be too (below 6) corrections can be made by adding lime. Should the pH be too high (above 7) this can be lowered by adding plenty of organic matter and mulch. Extremely alkaline soils can be changed by adding ground sulphur.

Soil Texture Test

Check the soil texture of the soil by rubbing some moist soil between your fingers. This will help to determine the type of soil present. Sandy soils will have a coarse feel. These soils dry quickly. Adding lots of organic matter will improve sandy soils. Very sandy soil can also be improved by adding clay. If the soil feels sticky when rubbed it contains too much clay. Clay soils drain slowly and are difficult to work when wet. Adding gypsum will help in most cases. Should the soil have a good balance of sand, silt and clay you will be blessed with a loamy soil. These soils are generally easy to manage and do not require treatments.

Organic Level Check

Check the level of organic matter in the soil. This can be done by shaking a handful of soil in a jar and seeing how much organic matter floats to the surface. If only a thin layer is present on the surface, lots of organic matter needs to be added. This means more microorganisms can be sustained, these in turn will release essential health giving chemicals needed by plants.

The above tests are simple to carry out and much information is available on these topics. Further tests require equipment or a soil testing company to analyse the soil.

Soil Salinity

These include salinity, especially if bore water is used. Individual soil nutrient levels for Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium as well as trace element levels can also be measured. Other aspects such as fertilizer application and cultivation practices to maintain soil structure also need attention.

Soil care requires years of experience and looking to older gardeners will give you lots of essential tips. Also, experienced gardeners can often identify soil problems by looking at the general appearance of plants. Getting a spade and digging around will give you information about conditions such as waterlogging and excessive dryness.

Do all you can to look after your soil and allow your plants to carry out the magic task of turning fertilizers and compost into healthy and nutritious food.

About the Author - Ben provides assistance and consultancy to real and virtual estate owners in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. His works include an Australian Hobby Farm. Ben also writes in details on Garden Composts and Lawn Care.
Article Source: Content for Reprint

Healthy Soil For A Healthy Garden

By David Chandler
All too often, soil composition is neglected. Every season, our plants and gardens rob the soil of it nutrients. All gardeners are to be custodians of the soil, taking the time to replace food and other elements as they are used. Since our soil is so important, we need to treat it, as we want to be treated, not like dirt.

Soil is a composition of weather-beaten rock, minerals, decayed plant materials and other organic ingredients. All this takes a long time to develop, but can be damaged by our action or neglect in a single season.

For soil to be healthy, it should contain a balanced mix of air, water, nutrients, and organic matter. There are a couple things we can do to protect this mixture.

Adding organic matter on a regular basis is probably one of the most important things we can do. Adding compost and animal manure can do many things, for instance:

- Increases the soil's capability to hold nutrients.
- Makes food available to plants over a longer period of time.
- Lessens the amount of nutrients lost by erosion or leaching.
- Provides micronutrients that are needed by plants in small amounts.
- Releases nutrients already in the soil by increasing the action of beneficial microorganisms.
- Increases the water-holding capacity for sandy soils.
- Increases the drainage of clay soils.
- Saves money.

Do not apply fertilizer to lawns until we get a good soaking rain, and for best, safest, long-lasting results use organic fertilizers. The wet soil puts the nutrients into a solution and helps distribute the nutrients to the plant roots to be absorbed.

The ability of soil to drain water is important. However, when you read phrases like "plant in a well-drained soil" or "does not like wet feet", they are talking about the plant's need for air. The roots of plants require oxygen and any soil that is waterlogged will be lacking oxygen.

Many plants will put up with high moisture-conditions during the growing season, but when the plants are dormant, the same conditions may kill them. By improving the drainage, the plant will have a better growing environment.

Another problem is soil becoming compacted by tractors and other equipment or just by tilling it year after year. You will find soil compaction in most soils, from gardens to farm fields.

Tilling the soil when it is too wet will clump and ruin the composition of the soil. This condition takes a long period of time to bring it back to health. To tell if the soil is too wet take a handful and squeeze it, if it crumbles in your hand then it is ready to till but if it clumps then it is too wet. Some people now believe that tilling at all is not good for the structure of the soil. It exposes the helpful microorganisms to the environment and they are destroyed.

However, gardeners may wonder if it is best to till the garden in the fall or spring. Tilling the soil in the fall has advantages over springtime. When spring arrives, it allows for earlier planting since the basic soil preparation is done. Tilling in the fall allows a large amount of organic matter to be turned into the soil and start decomposing because the microbes are active currently.

An excellent source of organic matter is the fall leaves. Try tilling a thick layer of leaves into the soil this fall and by spring, it will have decomposed.

Sowing a cover crop, like winter rye, is very beneficial by adding valuable nutrients and organic matter when tilled into the soil the following spring. Fall tilling will disrupt the bad insects, diseases, and weeds, reducing their population.

Fall is a good time to test your soil and should be done every couple of years. In conclusion, doing all the previous steps should be done the organic gardening way. It is back to basics when it comes to gardening.

About the Author: For more information, visit gardeninfocenter.com and gardencenterinfoguide.com
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