What does feed the soil mean?

There are billions of microbes that are working beneath us. Microbes are an indication of the soil health. The soil is growing plants and providing water retention, but it also holds carbon, reducing our climate problems. Improving our soil structure is the reason for the “no-till” farming and gardening push. The Earth’s soil can correct many things the human habitants have done wrong, it just needs a little help.

When we arrived at our new location, the ground was somewhat dead. The area was in an extended drought and the hard clay surface had zero groundcover to gain any nutrients.

First Step

Our first step was to visit a local farm and pick up as much horse manure as we could pack into our five gallon buckets. We spread that out on the ground to compost and feed the soil. Horse manure must age for six months before placing it in and around plants. We spread this fresh manure in an open location where it can easily breath and break down. We made several trips to the horse farm and each new installment went in a different location and we just indicated the dates on a yard map we had inside. As it ages we can use some of that top coat for mixing in planters and herb boxes.

Second Step

Our second step was composting all kitchen food scraps, paper/cardboard, and fireplace ash. Some people will tell you never compost meat or bones – we disagree. Animals die in the forest everyday and their bodies breakdown to the benefit of the environment. Even human bodies are now being used in Green burials to help grow trees. In fifteen months we’ve collected 29, five gallon buckets of material. We don’t have any special bin system. And we are NOT waiting for the material to be ready to place around plants. Going direct into the ground means you’ll need to wait at least six months for the material to be composted. This depends on multiple factors.

We use a five gallon bucket with a lid and it’s in direct sunlight outside until full. We locate a spot that might have a dip in the soil for whatever reason and place it there to feed the soil. The goal is to not dig a hole unless absolutely necessary. Ultimately we use leaves, pine needles or cardboard to cover the fresh material and we normally place a large flat rock on top to prevent any digging by the neighborhood cats.

Results

Are we making a difference? Absolutely. The microbes have a plentiful food source. The worms are able to surface more due to the protection of the topcoat of material and they can consume more food. It is difficult to see quick changes in the trees in such a short period of time, but we can see some plants are thriving.

We bought a tiny flat of succulents one year ago. They were 1 euro each, you’ve got to love that. The pots are 1.5 inches tall. The original pot is next to one of the succulents from one year of growth in the picture. When they outgrew the tiny pots we planted them in larger pots with clay, topsoil and some of the original horse manure that had aged. That mixture is working for these plants. Our tomatoes, herbs and fruit trees are still a work in progress. Changing your growing environment means you won’t have the same gardening results right away. The water is high in calcium and the Mediterranean climate is very different from the humid East Coast we were gardening in before. Take notes until you get the results you want.

Do you want to help and feed the soil?

• Stop using the garbage disposal.
• With a yard – Collect biodegradable materials. Use your yard for gardening and compost. It’s just that easy.
• Without a yard – Collect biodegradable material according to your area’s requirements and deliver it to the collection site. If you feel it will be smelly just store the closed container mixture in your refrigerator or freezer until each collection.

It’s never been easier to help out with our environmental issues and feed the soil. Please consider doing your part. We would appreciate hearing about your experiences or if you have any questions, let us know how we can help. This is one thing you can do today to make a difference in the world, and that feels really good.

Check out our Winter Composting information too.