All the Dirt on Gardening

Jo Craven McGinty wrote a worm-affirming article for the Wall Street Journal that was published in the July1-2 2017 weekend edition. Here's a link to the entire article . Natural Farming Worms turn 8,000 pounds of earth on an acre of land in two weeks, according to McGinty. The worm tunnels aerate the soil and the castings (poop) fertilize the ground it squirms in. Darwin called worms nature's plows. A recent study has been completed that concludes plowing kills worms, damages soil fertility, reduces soil's ability to absorb water and diminishes worms' food supply. It can take up to ten years to repair the damage done to soil by conventional plowing. Now 34% of US cropland uses no-till farming according to the USDA. Additional benefits include using less fuel and fewer soil improvements. Did you know that when summer heats up worms move 18-inches down into the soil to protect themselves from the heat? Here's an interesting Purdue U. article about worms...

A successful garden includes plants suited to your geography, correct placement, insect and disease control, right amount of water, plus healthy soil. The first year of efforts in making a new garden can be disappointing. Over time, gardens make a turn for the better. Seeds come up, perennials grow healthier, flowers bloom for a longer season, and fewer problems arise. The change is not only that the gardener is learning about their conditions, but that the soil quality is probably improving. Soil is basically made of air, water, deteriorated rocks, plus broken down organic matter such as leaves and twigs. Tiny animals that live in soil, called organisms, make the dirt healthy enough to support plant growth. Soil texture matters. Half of most soil is broken down rocks, sand is large particles, silt is medium size, and clay is made of small, flat, particles. Organic matter makes up less than 10 percent of dirt, yet it has a critical role in garden success. It makes those rock bits capab...