By Othon Jarle
Improving Your Soil Life Organic matter is the fuel that keeps your plants going, and in most cases, that is all you really need to know about improving your soil. Soil improvement is an ancient art practiced by farmers, gardeners, and homeowners alike for centuries.
It involves the careful observation and record of your soil’s condition to identify problems and correct them accordingly. Improving Your Soil Life Organic matter can be reduced, eliminated or improved by several natural processes, such as, adding nutrients, removing toxins, or simply making the soil more fertile.
Adding Beneficials are plants and animals that we, as humans, have placed on our earth to improve its soil quality. Plants add carbon to the soil, while animals break down and consume the nitrogen, which is released from a variety of agricultural products including, corn, alfalfa, wheat, and soybeans.
Animals and insects also add their own organic matter to the soil. Other types of organisms, such as bacteria and fungi also help to breakdown, absorb and distribute nutrients. All of these things work together to improve your soil’s organic matter using Worm Castings from BuildASoil.com.
Removing Toxins, which come from various sources, such as industrial pollution or pesticides, may be the key to improving your soil’s organic matter. There is no single substance that is responsible for killing or harming the soil. However, adding a natural ingredient, such as manure from animals, will eliminate toxins that have built up over time. Other ways to improve soil health include; using beneficial insects, worms and lizards, aerating the soil, or adding organic mulch.
Improving Your Soil Life If you are looking for simple methods to improve your soil’s organic matter, there are a number of things you can do. The first step is to purchase a soil testing kit to determine what exactly is in your soil. If you don’t test your soil, you are not doing yourself any favors because you are basically guessing on what is in your soil.
Some tests can determine the percentage of certain elements in your soil, but soil testing kits can also determine the amount of total dissolved solids in your soil. When these two factors are combined, you can better understand what your soil is composed of and what you can do to improve it.
Adding Natural Beneficials One of the easiest ways to improve soil life is by adding beneficial insects, worms and lizards to your soil. These animals help to break down the soil, as well as making food and other organic matter. You can purchase beneficial insects online or at your local garden store. Other beneficial you can add are grass clippings, manure, crushed egg shells and plant residues, such as compost or leaves.
