Back to Basics
You may remember that 2015 was designated the International Year of Soils so, as we come to the end of the year, I wanted to share a few of the things I have learned about soil and how to look after it.
The single most important thing to realise is that soil is alive! It is made up of organic material, minerals, and living micro-organisms. In some respects, soil is like a city, in which different organisms carry out different tasks, but all combining to serve the whole community. Any chaos or disruption will cause a set-back whilst the community recovers. A couple of our allotment-holders are firemen and they will have seen this happen themselves.
The problem, so far as soil is concerned, is that it struggles to communicate with people. When we take over an allotment or garden, we really become the guardian of a rather large, dumb, and undemanding pet – a bit like an elderly and overweight Labrador. But, like any animal, soil does require certain things from us such as care, food and shelter. If we neglect to provide these we cannot hope for our soil to continue to function healthily and our plants to grow and flourish.
So, soil needs all the friends it can get and, since we rely on it to grow our food, we should be its very best friend. It is really not too difficult to look after. Some basic principles of soil care are:
It really is a case of you reap what you sow, and remember: soil is for life not just for Christmas!
The single most important thing to realise is that soil is alive! It is made up of organic material, minerals, and living micro-organisms. In some respects, soil is like a city, in which different organisms carry out different tasks, but all combining to serve the whole community. Any chaos or disruption will cause a set-back whilst the community recovers. A couple of our allotment-holders are firemen and they will have seen this happen themselves.
The problem, so far as soil is concerned, is that it struggles to communicate with people. When we take over an allotment or garden, we really become the guardian of a rather large, dumb, and undemanding pet – a bit like an elderly and overweight Labrador. But, like any animal, soil does require certain things from us such as care, food and shelter. If we neglect to provide these we cannot hope for our soil to continue to function healthily and our plants to grow and flourish.
So, soil needs all the friends it can get and, since we rely on it to grow our food, we should be its very best friend. It is really not too difficult to look after. Some basic principles of soil care are:
- Grow as many different crops and plant-life as you can fit on your plot. Diversity is a key factor to a healthy soil as each plant both gives and takes different nutrients.
- Re-nourish the soil regularly with compost and natural fertilisers. All the better if you can make your own compost.
- Allow the soil structure to remain undisturbed and try not to poison its life-forms by using pesticides or fungicides.
- Sow annual crops in a different place each year, and try to grow some perennial crops.
- Protect the soil from harsh weather conditions such as drought, wind and rain. The best cover is a living layer of plant-life, or a mulch of compost/manure.
It really is a case of you reap what you sow, and remember: soil is for life not just for Christmas!
Submitted by Jane, plot 9
Read more about soil here
Read the 2015 International Year of Soils blog here
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