Soil Health

Six Tips for Building Healthy Soil

Soil is so much more than dirt. Soil is a living ecosystem — a large community of living organisms linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Every teaspoon of soil is home to billions of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, nematodes, insects, and earthworms that play important roles.

• Bacteria and fungi break down dead plant and animal tissue, turning it into nutrients for plants.
• Nematodes eat plant material and other soil organisms, releasing plant nutrients in their waste.
• Specialized mycorrhizal fungi form mutually beneficial relationships with plants by bringing nutrients and water to plant roots while plants provide carbohydrates to the fungi.
• Worms and insects shred organic material into smaller pieces that bacteria and fungi can easily break down.
• Garden earthworms create pathways in soil that fill with air and water for plant roots.

A healthy soil ecosystem gives plants better access to air, water, and nutrients. Here are six tips for building healthier soil in your garden.

Tip 1: Don’t Till Your Soil

No-till gardening avoids intentionally disrupting the soil. Instead of routinely turning soil with plows, spades, or hoes, the soil is left mostly undisturbed.

Many no-till gardeners also leave the roots of spent plants in place. At the end of the growing season, cut plants at the soil line with pruners or a small hand saw instead of pulling out the entire root system.

Tip 2: Compost

Compost is organic waste that breaks down over time into a nutrient-rich soil amendment.

A compost pile is usually made of a mixture of “green” organic materials, such as food scraps, garden trimmings, or fresh manure, and “brown” organic materials, such as dry leaves, cardboard, and wood chips.

Green materials provide nitrogen, while brown materials provide carbon. Together with air and water, they create the perfect conditions for bacteria, fungi, worms, and insects to break organic matter down into compost.

Tip 3: Use Cover Crops

Cover crops are plants grown primarily to improve and protect the soil. They can slow erosion, add nutrients, improve soil health, increase water availability, suppress weeds, help control pests and diseases, and increase biodiversity.

Diversifying and rotating crops can also help keep your garden soil healthier over time.

Tip 4: Mulch

Mulch helps retain moisture in the soil, suppress weeds, keep soil and plant roots cooler, prevent frost heaving in winter, and make garden beds and landscapes look more attractive.

Tip 5: Avoid Harsh Chemicals

Instead of relying heavily on pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, consider using cover crops, companion planting, compost, mulch, and beneficial insects to support a healthier garden ecosystem.

Tip 6: Test Your Soil

What do you know about the soil in your garden? Knowing your soil type can help you decide what to plant and how to amend your garden.

Soil tests can help you understand texture, composition, nutrient levels, and pH — whether your soil is acidic, neutral, or alkaline.