Essential Ecosystems (better soil biology)
Soil is a living, breathing, and replicating ecosystem similar in many respects to the human body. What we often view as single components are better considered as organs and systems within one body. There are complete, connected circulation systems that transcribe across many species of plants, fungus, and microorganisms which act as one unit to deliver unique and essential mineral nutrients to every single creature and species involved in these symbiotic systems.
That alone is such a complex and mysterious program that we are likely never to be able to fully grasp or even observe and identify just its major components. In just one teaspoon of soil we have billions of microbes, dozens of fungi, multiple species of algae, and fine filament roots of all plants growing near. They’re all connected into the ecosystem we call soil. When soil works, plants work. They grow better, resist pests, they don’t get sick, and they have significantly better yields. One oft-overlooked aspect is that food produced in heathy soil can contain several times greater nutrition.
So, how can we get this ‘good soil’? We need to allow a high level of diversity into the soil. Diversity in crops, crop management, and fertility management are really the way to do it. When we as land-stewards increase diversity on the macro scale, the soil can convert that into diversity on the micro scale and that’s what is really needed. Recent science has discovered a mind-boggling amount of symbiotic functions in soil between microbes, fungus, bugs, and plants.
It is far more complicated than our tests and research can adequately handle. What the research had proven, is what I call ‘The Principe of Diversity’. If we can foster an ecosystem that is more diverse, then the machine, which is the soil, always works better. Every single piece of evidence shows that most major plant diseases and plagues can be remedied by increasing the microbiological diversity in the soil.
Three practices to better soil health: Apply a variety of organic material. Avoid greatly disturbing the soil. Utilize microbe-rich materials such as manures or fermentations. Remember that manure is a fermented and broken down mixture of many different dietary components as well as added minerals. It’s a great way to remineralize your soil when something is deficient. For farmers and larger fields, it’s harder work. For the gardener, it’s quite simple. I can boil it all down to one single statement.
Make a garden that attracts lots of worms. Worms show up when soil becomes more healthy and richer in organic matter. Worms cause an increase in biological diversity and create a ton of soil fertility. Where do you find worms? Under things and around plant roots. Most species of garden worms live in the top 2 inches of soil. But if they dry out they die. Worms need food. They eat both raw organic matter and microorganisms.
If you place just an inch of grass clippings on the soil, you’re likely to find worms under it in a week. Observe what is good for worms, and do more of that. The last decade of research has led me to that one simple statement and absolutely every study and expert in the field agrees in principle. Don’t overcomplicate it. Don’t fret or worry. Just make a place that will hold a whole lotta of worms and keep it like that as well as you can. Things will get better. Worms are an efficient measure of soil health and microbiological diversity.