Is My Soil Dead?

If you have spent anytime working in a garden or digging in the dirt. You might have noticed that not all dirt is the same. Chances are, you have also noticed that a lot of it is more clay or more sand. For a garden, this is not ideal for growing crops that most cultivated varieties prefer and do best in rich, loamy soil, as noted on the back of seed packs and gardening books.

What is one to do with the soil they have? In the big scheme of things, the fix is universal, and that’s the good news. But before we get to that, it's important to talk about finding out where your soil is at in the first place. Doing a simple soil test can reveal valuable information. One is the soil pH. If you are familiar with the soils in your area and the plants already growing on the site, this can give you a good idea of the pH. For those who don't already have this knowledge, a soil test is a great start. When you get them back, they will have recommendations on how to adjust the PH. Another thing they will tell you is the percentage of organic matter. This number is very important because it tells you how alive your soil is. The higher the percent, the more life your soil has. All the soil microbes thrive in this organic matter. It helps to break it down and exchange its nutrients with the plants in exchange for sugars the plants make through photosynthesis.

In high-clay soils, the “dirt” particles are small and flat, and they stick together, slowing water drainage and cutting off oxygen. However, they are usually nutrient-rich but have no way to deliver those nutrients to the plants. And in high sandy soils, the particles are larger, and water and air run right through them. They usually have fewer nutrients because sand is permeable. The combination of clay and sand will put you in a worse situation, as it will create weak concrete.

This is why organic matter is so important. Being larger irregular sizes, it will break up the clay and allow for water, air, and roots to make their way through. It also gives microbes a chance to thrive on the organic matter, pull nutrients from the soil, and break it down into a form plants can take up. In sandy soils, it does the exact opposite because of its water-holding capacity, which allows moisture and nutrients to be held long enough for plants to get a deep drink. As this organic matter breaks down, it acts as a slow-release fertilizer, helping plants grow.

If you are saying to yourself, “That’s nice, how do I increase it?” or “I know I have it, how do I keep it around?” then you are in luck. Compost is a great place to start. When making up your piles, keep in mind that you want to keep a 50/50 ratio for the “green” items like kitchen scraps, fresh leaves, and other clippings to the ”browns” wood chips and dried leaves. This doesn’t have to be perfect, so don’t sweat it. Items like manure are great as well, but you will want to ensure that the feed the animals are fed is free of herbicides or any "icides,” for that matter. Many people have lost an entire growing area to herbicides that persisted all the way to their gardens and remained in the soil for many years. But if you have a good, clean source of manure, feel free to use it. Some, like rabbit or worm, can be used quite liberally without burning the plants' roots.  Others with a higher amount of nitrogen have a higher chance of burning roots but if applied correctly in the right amounts you shouldn’t have any issues but if you are worried then age away no point is stressing over to age or not to age.