It’s the wonderful time of year when we start heading back into the garden and planting our seeds for the season. Before getting started you should consider an important factor to your growing success− soil health. Soil is a living thing, full of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. The health of your soil will greatly determine your ability to grow, however, much of the earth’s soil is depleted due to the widespread use of synthetic chemical pesticides.
Synthetic chemical pesticides kill organisms that impede plant growth, but they also wipe out organisms that aid it in the process. For example, certain fungi will burrow into the plant root and expand out to increase the root surface area, creating a massive root system that can mine and deliver minerals to the plant. Unfortunately, synthetic chemical pesticides are indiscriminate and destroy these helpful organisms in tandem.
There are several steps you can take to restore the health of your soil and avoid these harmful issues as you head into gardening season:
Create a compost pile or worm farm and integrate the rich material that results into your soil. Increasing the variety of what’s going into your soil will increase the variety of microbes and nutrients as a result.
Soil needs air, just like you. Mix your soil to allow it to breathe and become more aerobic.
Hydrate your soil to support the ecosystem within and allow it to thrive.
Keep your soil alive by not using toxic synthetic chemical pesticides. Instead, opt for natural alternatives that work with the makeup of your soil to protect it and make your garden certified organic!
Soil health is an issue that affects the entire world and something Terramera is striving to resolve through our innovative technology and natural solutions. Synthetic chemical pesticides can be harsher on soil life than they are on the plants, depleting it and thus the nutrients that would normally transfer into the plant and then to our bodies. Some studies argue that the food we consume today is only 20% as nutritious as the food our grandparents ate. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to restore the health of the soil in your garden to cultivate healthy, strong, nutrient rich food- right in your backyard!