WELL, SPRING HAS sprung, the grass is on the rise, as are your weeds and garden chores. Your soil and its fertility will be a major concern if you want a bountiful harvest.
As gardeners, we have all heard various praises bestowed upon compost, peat moss, manures, leaf mold and worm castings.
We have probably all bought bags of manure, a bale of peet or loaded up the truck with compost and felt the deep satisfaction of doing something to improve our soil.
But why are these good practices, and why are sales of these products at their zenith for the next three months? Because dead organic material is indeed the miracle drug of the flower and vegetable world, and today you will find out why that is so.
All organic material (that which is alive and that which has died) will eventually become hummus, and in the process, it will have many of its component properties (minerals and other elements) either feed the abundance of life in healthy soil or nurture the various plants whose roots are present.
Then what is hummus? It comes from Latin meaning “earth or ground” and we gardeners know it as the material that causes our soils to become black or dark brown.
Soil scientists, however, are very specific and define hummus as “organic matter in the soil that has reached a point of stability and the force of decomposition is over.”
As organic matter decomposes, all the various forms of life feed upon it or are consumed by a variety of predators.
A mineralization process is being carried out and nitrogen, potassium and a whole host of nutrients are being released for use.
What is left is this colloidal substance — hummus.
Now, hummus is fabulous because it dramatically increases the soil’s cation-exchange capacity. This impressive term translates to the soil’s capacity to exchange ions between itself and other matter.
What it practically means here is, as the cation-exchange capacity is increased (more hummus in the soil), the ability of that soil to grab hold of and retain nutrients for plant use is greatly increased, as well as its ability to hold water.
Another simpler way to define this complex science is by way of this formula: Organic matter plus decomposition equals hummus.
Hummus equals soil for fertility, especially for crops like flowers and edible plants. But dead, organic material also creates ideal conditions for root growth.
The organic material rots away in the area given up to pore space, and into these gaps race new feeder roots. But they are not alone, for water, air and microbes race here as well, and in this complex symbiotic relationship of roots, air, water, bacteria and microbes, each aids the other and feeds co-dependently.
Hummus and dead organic matter act as sponges, too, swelling when moisture is present and shrinking when dry.
This movement in the form of expansion and contraction does wonders for plant growth by keeping the soil loose and light, discouraging compaction and aiding superbly in the transmission of atmospheric exchange and water absorption.
So let us review now all that has transpired.
Soil texture and structure are critical to your plants.
Your plants must be placed in this correct soil for any measure of success.
You can control both texture and structure by amending the soil.
Soil tests are absolutely mandatory and can be obtained at the Clallam County Conservation District. Without one, you will be shooting blindly into the dark.
Your soil is a living, breathing concoction of organisms essential for good soil health.
Living organisms, because of decomposition, are the reason plant nutrient is available in the soil.
Organic material is the fabric by which soil fertility is determined by way of that decomposition and resulting hummus.
Pore space is directly responsible for water-holding ability, root-growth habitat for living creatures and fertility.
Compact your soil and even the most fertile soil would become infertile.
So happy spring everyone, and please, stay well all!
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Andrew May is a freelance writer and ornamental horticulturist who dreams of having Clallam and Jefferson counties nationally recognized as “Flower Peninsula USA.” Send him questions c/o Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362, or email news@peninsuladailynews.com (subject line: Andrew May).
