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Garden Talk

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"GardenTalk", a regular feature for The Gazette, brings to you the combined experience and expertise of Holly Lake's dedicated gardeners and others. A continuing focus will be subjects of interest to anyone who has ever bought a packet of seeds or dug a hole in the ground for a plant, as well as the dedicated and sharp-eyed observers of nature. "GardenTalk" will not only inform you each issue but solicits your ideas and personal gardening experiences which you may wish to pass on to others. The hope is that "GardenTalk" will enrich us all as well as help make Holly Lake even more beautiful.

Success in the ______ (insert your favorite word here - garden, flower bed, lawn, forest floor) depends on the quality of soil. Healthy soil is more than just dirt. Ask Cecil Wallace and he will explain to you the difference between soil and dirt.

Did you ever wonder why good healthy soil smells so wonderful? Actinomycetes! These are microorganisms that help stabilize decaying organic matter and are responsible for giving soil that heavenly earthy smell. These microorganisms work symbiotically with each other and with the plants and roots to provide an efficient infrastructure. These microorganisms allow flora and fauna above and below the ground to thrive naturally.

Soil contains bacteria, fungi and protozoa – some good and some bad. A single teaspoon of garden soil can contain more than a billion bacteria. Plants will attract bacteria and fungi to their roots so that protozoa and nematodes will eat these organisms and excrete nitrogen in a form that feeds plants. Adding high-salt, dehydrating, chemical fertilizers can kill fungi and bacteria at the base of the soil food web which impacts all members of the soil.

Soil structure has a great impact on the production of all crops, plants in the garden, trees in the forest and even grass on the lawns. A good healthy soil will have well aggregated soil particles, lots of air space between the particles, good drainage and the ability to hold water and nutrients in the root zone. A really good soil structure includes 3-5% organic matter (humus), 25% air, 25% water, and 45% minerals with a healthy and diverse population of microorganisms. That means feeding the billions of microbes and other subterranean creatures the diet which they need. Adding compost, aged manure, mushroom compost and leaf mold are all a good start to a healthy soil.

Soil with a lot of organic matter also allows the soil to clump together to form aggregates. The organic carbon in humus aids in aggregation. The gummy substances produced by soil microbes during the decay of fresh organic matter also bind the soil clumps. Better aggregation improves soil tilth and permeability. Soils high in organic matter improve water infiltration which reduces runoff. Water infiltrates these soils quickly – soils low in organic matter allow more water and nutrient runoff.

Recent studies by Texas AgriLife Extension Service indicate that our typical lawn soil is too high in phosphorus and potassium. Remember excess nutrients run off into our surface water. A simple soil test is the way to find out what is in your soil. Think of it as an owner's manual for your garden or lawn. A soil test kit can be obtained from Texas A&M Soil Testing Lab for under $15. It is recommended that you test your soil every two or three years.

The bottom line is that all plants do better in soil that is alive with beneficial soil microbes. Dumping excess chemicals and fertilizers onto plants promotes a soil environment that is anything but alive. The new practice of feeding the soil is actually easier and makes for healthier plants which are more disease and pest resistant.

Feeding soil versus feeding plants is a new science. And, all of this new science means we may have to adjust how we garden. If you feed your soil with whatever fertilizer happens to be convenient at the big box store, it might be time to change. We live in a new age. An age of "i" this and that. It is up to each of us to embrace the tools and the new science and maybe, just maybe we will leave a good healthy environmental footprint for our offspring for years to come.

Ann Reynolds

Certified Master Naturalist