Tips On Organic Soil Improvement & Fertilizing

By gardener | Dec 24, 2008

Healthy soil is the key to successful organic gardening. The basic principle that organic gardeners live by is to feed the soil and let the soil feed the plants. Soil is the source of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus that plants need for growth. Plants also absorb water from the soil and draw physical support for their growth by spreading their roots through the soil. The key is to balance the soil so that it provides all the conditions that plants need to thrive.

Adding organic matter (various forms of living or dead plant and animal material) to the soil is the keystone of soil fertility. Organic matter supplies raw materials to earthworms and naturally occurring bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms in the soil. These organisms digest organic matter in a process known as the decay cycle. The decay cycle breaks down the complex compounds in the plant material into forms that can be absorbed by plant roots, creating a natural recycling process. Enriching the soil with organic matter also improves soil
structure, which in turn improves the soil’s capacity to hold water and nutrients and to release
them to plant roots as needed.

Gardeners can go a long way toward having properly nourished plants by simply adding
appropriate amounts of organic matter to the soil each year. This practice will solve many problems commonly found in garden soils. Keeping air in the soil is also essential to a healthy balance. Soil air can be thought of as an important fertilizer because it feeds the soil organisms that make the nitrogen and decay cycles flow. Gently handling the soil to increase crumb structure and air and pore space is part of the balancing process.

Organic gardeners opt to feed the soil before feeding the plants. They tend the soil in ways that invigorate soil organisms. This approach not only assists the plants’ food production efforts, but helps them meet the stresses of insect damage, disease infection, and drought. Below are 3 steps designed to improve organic soil and fertilizing system.

1. Learn about your soil. It’s important to examine and test your soil to determine whether it has good physical structure, sufficient biological activity to support plant growth with organic methods, and sufficient mineral reserves to produce healthy plants.

2. Correct soil imbalances. Add proper amounts of balancing soil amendments to correct your soil’s problems. This may be a 2 to 4 year process, depending on your soil’s initial condition.

3. Maintain soil balance. Adding materials to maintain the level of soil organic matter is the
key to keeping your soil in balance. A steady supply of organic matter feeds soil microorganisms and other life forms, which in turn help process the nutrients in organic matter into forms that your plants can use.

4. Feed your plants. Plants growing in a balanced, healthy soil may grow perfectly well without additional fertilizer in most situations. Thus, a plant-feeding program is an optional step used when you decide the extra effort is worthwhile.

Healthy soil won’t happen overnight, or even in one growing season. If you’re a gardener
who has relied on chemical fertilizers, you may wonder if it’s worth two or more years of effort
to increase soil organic matter. But improving your soil organically will do more in the long
term than reduce your fertilizer bill. A healthy, balanced soil will be easier to dig or till, will
require less irrigation, and will support plants that are more tolerant of insect and disease
problems.

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