Compost plays a very important role in our gardens and growing plots!
Before I tell you what that is, I have to explain about what makes up healthy soil! Healthy soil is made up of 45% rock mineral (sand, silt or clay), 25% water, 25% air and 5% organic matter.
The organic matter plays a key role in developing good soil structure. Soil aggregates, or little lumps and bumps in the soil, don’t fit tightly together. This leaves pore spaces around them and that is where the water and air sit in the soil. Compacted soil doesn’t have much for pore space as the particles are so close together so compacted soils cannot hold a lot of air or water.
Our goal as growers is to develop healthy soil to build that structure that allows our plants access to as much water as they need without us having to add supplemental water.
How do we build that soil structure?
Organic matter or compost is the glue that binds those soil particles together. When we start increasing the organic matter in our soil, we are supporting the development of good soil structure!
If you’d like to learn how to compost, please watch for my online class to be published!
Comments