Soil Life

• Benefits of Cover Cropping – Cover crops, often planted in between main cash crops cycles, are grown for their benefits to the soil: nutrient cycling, weed suppression, limiting soil erosion, alleviating compaction, and carbon cycling. Read more →
• Cover Cropping for Soil Health – There are four commonly agreed upon tenets for building and maintaining soil health, and cover cropping is a part of all four. Read more →
• No Till Agriculture – What is No-Till Agriculture? Read more →
• The Living Soil - Microorganisms – Did you know that there is more life below the surface of the soil than above it? In a single tablespoon of soil, there are 50 billion microbes alone. Although invisible to the naked eye, microorganisms are essential to healthy soils because they effect its structure (or tilth) and fertility. Read more →
• Soil Testing – Soil fertility is an important part of maintaining a healthy garden. To best manage your soil fertility, start with a simple soil test. Read more →
• Nematodes 101 – Nematodes are microscopic, worm-like organisms that live in the soil. A single handful of garden soil can contain thousands. While some nematodes can cause harm to plants, others can help your garden thrive. Read more →
• Compost: Turn food waste into soil nutrients! – Compost is an important soil amendment made of decomposed plant matter including food scraps. You can make right it in your backyard! With the right recipe, your compost heap will not omit bad odors, will lighten the load (and cost) of your trash, and will greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. Adding compost to soil helps to restore the organic matter content allowing for greater moisture and nutrient retention and providing necessary food for essential microorganisms that live in healthy soil. Read more →
• Cover Crops – Got an area in the garden that just is not going to get planted? Try a cover crop! Cover crops are crops that are grown simply to enhance soil quality, rather than to directly produce food for people. Cover crops provide food for the living soil. Read more →