The Dirt on Dirt
Building Soil
Starting Seeds
Fighting Crime
Heirloom Gardening

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All life on earth is dependent on the few inches of topsoil that cover the planet. Great food and great beauty can only result from healthy plants, and healthy plants are the products of healthy soil. If you have been relying on chemicals to feed your plants, more than likely your soil needs some help.

Chemical fertilizers do nothing to build fertility in the soil. They give plants a quick jolt of growth elements, then wash on down into the creek. In fact, many of them kill the micro-organisms that keep your soil healthy and productive.

High nitrogen fertilizers, including those water-soluble crystals that so many gardeners love, kill earthworms by burning them with harsh salts. Chemical fertilizers are similar to some drugs people take — speed or steroids, for example. They give the plants a quick rush of energy, bulk them up in a hurry, then leave them feeling weak and worn out.

The goal in your gardening is to build healthy soil that will provide all the nutrients your plants need to be healthy. Although plants’ main diet consists of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous (NPK), they also need many other trace minerals and nutrients available only in healthy soil.

Healthy soil is living soil. It is full of micro-organisms constantly breaking down plant material and making elemental nutrients available to the plants. It is full of earthworms digesting waste material and turning it into rich fertilizer. There is a whole unseen world of activity going on underneath your plants and providing stimulation and nutrition to their roots. These tiny critters are naturally present in the soil; they really want to do their job; all they need is a little encouragement. The very least you can do is not kill them!

Begin by creating a climate in which worms and microbes can flourish. When you stop using chemicals, you have taken a giant step in the right direction. Another step you can take is to give the soil animals air and water. You do this by keeping your soil from becoming too dry and compacted. Water deeply when you water, but don’t drown the soil. Turn the soil or cultivate in your garden occasionally to allow fresh air into the root zone. Most importantly, keep adding organic material to your lawn and garden to provide a constant source of food to the invisible army of creatures working to make your garden beautiful.

One of the favorite products of organic gardeners is seaweed. It comes in both liquid and granular form, and you simply mix it with water and pour it on and around your plants or work it into the soil in a dry form. Seaweed is a general tonic for all plants. It provides trace minerals that keep your plants healthy. It helps your plants adjust easily to the shock of transplanting or pruning. It encourages beneficial micro-organisms in the soil. Most gardeners who have tried seaweed (or kelp) swear by it and wouldn’t consider gardening without it.

Another favorite product of natural gardeners is fish emulsion. You remember how Native Americans taught the colonists to bury fish waste along with their corn crops? Well, the same principle is at work here, but instead of carrying around old fish carcasses, you can buy fish emulsion at the garden center. Mix it with water and use it to feed all your plants. Fish emulsion provides essential nutrients in a form that is easily absorbed both through the leaves and the roots of plants. It doesn’t give them an alarming jolt, but rather provides the food they need when they need it.

Several good all-purpose organic fertilizers are on the market. Organic fertilizers, unlike chemical fertilizers, are slow-acting. They continue to feed the soil and the micro-organisms that live in the soil. They encourage all the soil animals that are working hard to make your soil better. Instead of looking for a high nitrogen number on the bag of fertilizer (as you often did with chemicals for a quick green-up), look for balance, a range of nutrients, and natural ingredients. You can also buy bags of manure to feed your garden. Bagged manure is well composted, so you don’t have to worry about smell, weeds or burning. Manure worked into the soil also encourages soil animals and enhances the life of your soil.

Organic matter is the key to good, healthy, sustainable soil. Adding leaves, grass clippings, mulch, manure, and any other organic materials you have around will keep your soil alive. The elements will be constantly breaking down, feeding micro-organisms and other helpful soil critters, and resulting in rich, fertile soil.

Excerpted from “How to Become An Organic Gardener in 7 Easy Steps.”