How to maintain life in the soil.

Hello to all urban gardeners, rural gardeners and enthusiasts who would want home-grown plants!
What is the most important factor in gardening? The answer is quite simple, aint it? – The soil. So let’s take a deep dive into understanding soil, its acidity and nourishing techniques.

Soil, humus and peat – differences

Soil is the surface layer of the earth’s crust in which plants grow. It consists of inorganic stones, dust, clay, sand and organic humus.
Soil plays an important role in biodiversity. Almost a third of all organisms are found in the soil – microscopically small bacteria and nematodes, insects, mites, earthworms, moles and mice. What seems like lifeless soil to us is actually a whole world full of invisible but very active beings. One cubic meter of forest soil can contain 2000 invertebrates!

Humus – the organic source of life in the soil

Humus is formed from the decomposition of organic residues in the soil – dead plants, animals and microorganisms. It is a source of root nutrition for plants. The higher the humus content, the more fertile the soil and the healthier the plants. Since the substances that make up humus are dark in color, humus-rich soil is usually darker in color.

Peat

Peat is a dark brown mass of partially decomposed plants formed in humid conditions, such as swamps. You can use it at home to mulch the soil to reduce moisture evaporation, regulate soil temperature and prevent weed germination.

What soil to buy – soil acidity

City gardeners rely on the soil that is sold in garden centers. Here are some quick guidelines to understand what kind of soil you need.

The first thing to check when buying soil is its acidity level – pH. It is best to use neutral or close to neutral soil, ie pH close to 7.

However, there are many plants that prefer more acidic soils. Such as potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, zucchini, and cucumbers. Strawberries, blackcurrants and raisins also prefer acidic soil. Our personal favorites, after whom our farm is named – blueberries, are lovers of extremely acidic soils. Also, there are many flowers that prefer more acidic soils – roses, gladioli, carnations, begonias, lilies, primroses, forget-me-nots, cornflowers, rhododendrons, azaleas, jasmine, peony, fern and poppy.

An interesting quality of blue or pink hydrangeas is that they can change their hue. On very acidic soils (pH below 5.0) they are blue, and on near neutral soils (pH 6.5) they are pink.
Alkaline soils are generally unfavorable for most plants. However, there are plants that tolerate such soils very well – lonicera (honeysuckle), winter jasmine, peony, hydrangea, boxwood, lilac, sage, and clematis.

Fortunately, there are quite a few varieties of soil mixtures on the market. And quite often the manufacturer names his product after the plants that grow best in the soil with specific acidity.
So decide what plants you want to grow and then research on what soil type will best suit them. If you want to play it safe – get soil with a neutral pH. In this case, you can add mulch of pine needles or coffee grounds for the plants that prefer acidic soil.

Composting – the easiest way to nourish the soil

Even if we buy enriched soil for home pots, over time the plants use the necessary reserves of nutrients and the soil is gradually depleted. You do not need to constantly buy new soil for your pots. If we know how to add organic matter, we will be able to keep it nutritious enough. The easiest and at the same time effective way to add organic matter to the soil is composting.

Did you know that almost two thirds of the garbage generated in our homes consists of organic components? Composting is a great way to both reduce waste and provide a wonderful fertilizer for our plants. What we can easily compost in urban conditions:
– kitchen waste – banana peels, eggshells, vegetable peels, cuttings and leftovers from spoiled fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds (for plants that like more acidic soil), leftover bread.
– wood ash (do not overdo it because it alkalizes the soil), brown (glossy) cardboard or wrapping paper, rolls of toilet paper, and even sawdust from pencils.

Instead of throwing them away, grind the food waste in a blender (soak cardboard and paper in water beforehand and chop to pieces) and put them in a bucket on the balcony together with some soil / sawdust / dried grass / hay. Depending on the temperature, after a month or two there may be a great compost to fertilize your houseplants.

If you cannot wait, you can practice direct composting – the drier residue is crushed and directly mixed with the soil in the pots. You can also use ready-made biohumus or compost. There are already many companies that offer one for sale.
Pet poop can be added to the soil as a fertilizer, but then the smell can be an issue. 🙂 Rabbit poop( extremely smelly) works really well, so does sheep droppings. Do not attempt it with dog poop though :D.

Mulching – how to provide better conditions for plants

Mulching is the covering on the soil around plants with organic or inorganic materials. Its role is to regulate soil moisture and temperature. With mulching, more moisture is retained in the soil – only about 10% of the water evaporates from the mulched soil, compared to 80% evaporation when the soil is not covered. This helps reduce the need for watering the plants. It also reduces the risk of fungal diseases. The mulch cover also regulates the temperature differences by preventing the roots of the plant from overheating or freezing.

If you look around when traveling outside the city – except for agricultural land you will not see any other bare ground. Where there is sun and water, even on extremely poor soils, some grass, bushes will still sprout. You will see layers of decaying leaves, shredded bark and branches. This is natural mulching that nature applies to protect and nourish the soil. It is a natural process by which the nutrients used by trees and other plants are returned to the soil to feed the next life cycle.

Even in a very small ecosystem, such as a pot with a plant, mulching will be very useful. You can use organic mulch, which over time will decompose and nourish the soil – wood chips or sawdust, dried leaves, grass, peat, straw, even walnut shells. You can also use inorganic mulch, such as pebbles and shells, collected last year on the beach.

Mulching is my favorite gardening technique, which also saves me the effort of digging, so I promise to write a separate article detailing all the benefits and how you can do it on a slightly larger scale than a home pot.
So, choose the right soil and you are ready to take the path of urban gardening! Remember the right soil acidity and nourishing techniques are the basis of a good produce.

Next time I will tell you about another very important element of gardening, namely the seeds. What is important to know when choosing them. Read all about seeds here.
See you soon! And do not forget – He who creates a garden, cultivates happiness!