The Stuff of Life: Promoting Living Soils and Healthy Waters

Abstract

One of the most incredible ecosystems has long remained invisible, though it is right beneath our feet. In the landscaping world there has been a tendency to treat soil as a crude substrate into which to stick plants, as if it were the chunk of foam at the base of a florist’s creation. Most gardeners are taught to assess a few simple criteria: soil texture, pH, amount of organic matter, and nutrient levels. If a soil is in the proper range for all of these, it is good to go. If not, adjust as needed. This approach fails to recognize the complexity of the soil ecosystem and all the ways that, if we can keep that ecosystem humming, it will do important work for us.