Wait… It’s alive?
For many beginner gardeners, the recognition that healthy soil is living soil, is one that doesn’t come instinctually. We’ve all seen some of the things that live IN soil, worms, ants, pill bugs, mice, even going up the food chain to snakes and other sub-terranean animals. It can be hard to soothe the part of your brain that’s hardwired to cringe when you accidentally pick up a worm. Once you can recognize that these organisms are good for your soil and your plants, it becomes much easier to appreciate all the benefits they have to offer! Master Gardeners celebrate this diversity in their soil, because they know that it will lead to a healthier garden that’s easier to care for.
We at Purple Cow Organics focus on organic crop cultivation, and how to support a garden using organic products. Organic agricultural practices like no-till, cover cropping, crop rotation, and intercropping, are all examples of what’s called regenerative agriculture.
One of the keystones of regenerative agriculture is the idea that microscopic organisms (microbes, as they’re known formally) are the true powerhouse of your soil.
When you apply this concept to your garden, no matter the scale, you can develop a better understanding for how to give your plants exactly what they need. Minerals, nutrients, and carbon are all essential components of healthy soil, without which your plants would struggle to thrive. Microbes are the driving force that establishes a connection between your plants and the soil; they make nutrient uptake possible. Every input your plant consumes was made bioavailable with the help of microbes.
Though this is a large reason why microbes play such an important role in your soil, nutrient uptake is far from the only factor that makes microbes so essential. Other functions performed by beneficial microbes include nutrient liberation and nutrient cycling, breaking down crop residue, disease suppression, nitrogen fixation, and so many more.
Different microbial species perform these essential functions in your soil, which is the reason why soil microbial diversity is so crucial. The more species present in your soil, the more functions that they perform, and the more benefits plants have access to.
So how do microbes tie into organic gardening? Home gardeners pride themselves on careful curation of high-quality produce, especially when their goal is to grow healthy food for them and their families. Organic gardeners do not use chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers to care for their gardens but instead select fertilizers that feed the soil and stimulate the beneficial biology below the surface. Native soil is not sterile, and wild plants are easily more nutrient-dense than their conventionally grown counterparts, this is not a coincidence! By supporting the mechanisms in your soil that naturally promote nutrient uptake and long-term soil health, you can get more out of every plant you cultivate.
Organic farmers know that microbially rich soil can help to increase the ROI of every harvest. In addition to promoting increased yield and produce quality, a diverse population of beneficial microbes aids in providing the plants ability to naturally resist pathogen attack through competitive exclusion and bio-sanitation. Pathogens, diseases, pests, and weeds can easily thrive in environments where there is little competition for resources. A large population of diverse microbes means that there is more intense competition for resources. Microbes that are in a symbiotic relationship with your plants are more readily able to out-compete and even consume pathogens before they have the chance to decimate your crop.
Healthy soil is a living ecosystem, with billions of different organisms working together. Soil biodiversity is one of the most critical components to support healthy plants and can be a determining factor in the quality of your overall harvest.
Whether you grow in a heavy-feeding living soil like Purple Cow IndiCanja, or just support your garden soil’s microbial population using a liquid biological such as BIOACTIVE LiquiLife, the 'living' element of your soil is one of the most important factors for success.
For questions on incorporating microbes into your nutrient program, contact us here!