Healthy soil is the basis for every garden. Nutrients, water and oxygen are all building blocks of plant life that are provided by the soil through the roots. Here are some of the most important things to know before you plant your food garden.
What is healthy soil made of? All soil will represent some mix of sand, silt and clay, but the healthy soils are teeming with microbial life and abundant organic matter (carbon). Low till, or no till, gardening is becoming more popular every year, as Canadians learn that disturbing the soil by turning it over (manually or with a rototiller) disturbs important microbial activity in the soil and actually promotes greater weed growth.
It’s helpful for every gardener to do a soil test at least once, and every few years to get a better understanding of what their gardens might be lacking. The structural elements of soil — that is, the
