Healthy soil is at the heart of every thriving plant, whether cultivating flowers, veggies, or specialty crops. When it comes to gardens, you get what you give!
If you want to grow high-quality produce, you need high-quality soil. The idea of a ‘premium product’ can scare away some gardeners, because they haven’t experienced the benefit of using a higher-quality product in their soil. Our soil amendments and growing mixes go beyond just providing good nutrients and a home for your plants, but they actively contribute to a better environment for your garden and for the planet.
Purple Cow and Your Garden
Healthy soil is characterized by two key components: organic matter and soil biology. Our plant-based Activated Compost is rich in organic matter and diverse beneficial microbes.
Organic matter is a category of soil matter that includes dead and decayed materials from organisms such as plants. Though it typically only makes up 3-6% of typical agricultural soils, organic matter is the basis for fertile and productive soil. Organic matter is so critical because it influences and modifies all essential soil properties. Nutrient availability, soil aeration, and water retention are all influenced by your soil’s organic matter content. Learn more about organic matter in your soil by reading our blog post: Why Organic Matter Matters!
Microbes are the single most important factor when determining soil health, especially when measuring the diversity of your microbial population. Beneficial bacteria and fungal species break down dead plant roots and residues, naturally incorporating these nutrients back into the soil for the next growing season. Microbial activity also shifts and aerates the soil, ensuring that nutrients are distributed where plants need them, and making it easier for roots to move through the soil layer. This soil aeration also improves water-holding capacity, meaning that the soil can store water for plants to access during a summer dry spell or in case of drought.
Purple Cow and Your Plants
The factors that make your garden soil healthier will directly influence the health of your plants. One of the keystones of regenerative agriculture is the idea that microbes are the true powerhouse of your soil. Applying these concepts to your garden can not only create better soil, but can transform your plant success. Microbes are the driving force of connection between your plants and the soil; they make nutrient uptake possible. Every input your plant consumes is made bioavailable with the help of microbes.
Though this is a large reason as to 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. By improving nutrient intake AND limiting stress and disease pressure, microbes can direct your plant’s energy toward growing more beautiful plants, tastier produce, and more colorful blooms.
"Figure: Effects of high microbial diversity in soils. Soils with high microbial abundance and diversity can support pathogen suppression, increase nutrient availability for crops, and enhance nutrient cycling..." Figure credit: Laura Kaminsky.
Purple Cow and the Planet
On top of the benefits that our compost, amendments, and soil mixes can bring to your plants, they’re also beneficial for the planet! The compost at the heart of our products is produced from 100% locally sourced plant residuals. Materials that otherwise would have ended up in our landfills are broken down into rich plant-based compost that can be given back to your garden!
Compost adds rich organic matter and microbes back into the soil. As mentioned above, both of these can improve your soil quality and plant health on a small scale. On a larger scale, improving soil quality and health can have incredibly positive effects on the planet. Healthy soil can absorb up to 18-20 times its weight in water. By improving soil’s water capacity, you improve drought tolerance, reduce topsoil erosion, and prevent runoff of chemical fertilizers and other harmful compounds into rivers and streams. Better soil can support a biodiverse ecosystem of plants, that grow deeper root systems to improve soil structure.
Plants can also pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and sequester it in the soil. Carbon Dioxide is a natural byproduct of life on earth and is important to life on earth in certain quantities. However, excess carbon dioxide in our atmosphere (produced by humans) is one of the factors contributing to ocean acidification and increasing global temperatures. Supporting more vigorous plants with deeper, healthier, roots can improve carbon sequestration (storage) in the soil, especially when diverse microbes are at work in the ground.
Healthier soil is easy to achieve when you rely on products deeply rooted in healthy soil. We are proud to create high-quality compost, amendments, and soil mixes that give to your garden, and give back to the planet. For more information on creating a healthier garden, contact our team of experts!