What’s the first thing that comes to your mind if you hear the word soil? What images does it evoke?
We walk on it and sometimes we might even consider it dirty to touch and, still, it’s the source of all that nourishes us: food grows for free from it, even in the wild, trees can give us oxygen thanks to the fact that their roots are deep held in its soft, brown, holy embrace.
It sustains us, it gives us life, it’s a safe surface for us to connect to the always pulsing heart of our planet Earth, almost as a portal between the atmosphere we live in and the underground.
What can we do so to preserve it? How can we give to it something in return, after receiving freely so much? Let’s go trough it.
Note: you can find an interesting article on the Curiosoil – Soil Literacy Day event, happened during the warmer season, at this link.
A protection layer to keep the good things inside
When it comes to soil protection and the preservation of its moisture, it’s essential to mention mulching; mulching consists of the practice of covering the soil surface with a layer of dry organic materials (among the most used ones we can find dry leaves, straw and even wool or other organic textile fabrics) that create a barrier against the hot sun rays, or even rain; it works as a natural insulation for the plants’ roots system, by keeping the temperature at its optimal level, and it’s as well beneficial to prevent eventual erosion.
By mulching we help the water to stay where we want it to stay, which is essential for our green friends to thrive, stay healthy and prosper, and so we become their helpful ally; do your mulching too!
Plants like their buddies’ company
To place many plants near others helps support their overall strength and health.
Sometimes we can make the mistake of considering each plant as a universe of its own, when in fact they are more like planets, interacting with one another and, sometimes, supporting each other. A good example of this is tomatoes and basil: both enjoy the same soil conditions and moisture levels, basil helps tomatoes grow stronger and taste better. It also keeps away bugs like hornworms and aphids and it brings in bees and butterflies to help with pollination. Or we can think of chamomile, which helps basil produce more of its natural oils, enhancing its flavor and its ability to repel pests.
Soil likes to breathe
Soil is a living medium, filled with roots, tiny organisms, water and air, all sharing the same space. When it becomes too compact and dense, it loses the small air pockets that allow it to breathe: oxygen can no longer reach the roots properly and water cannot move freely, so the soil slowly begins to suffocate.
Compacted soil also reduces earthworms and microorganisms, the quiet workers that transform organic matter into nourishment. When they disappear, the soil loses part of its vitality.
Healthy soil is soft, porous, and alive. To care for it, we must allow it to remain open and full of breathing space.
No-dig method
Beneath our feet tiny creatures make paths that carry water and nutrients to plant roots, while keeping just enough moisture for them to grow. When we leave this system alone, it can breathe, grow, and support plants easily.
If instead we dig or disturb it too much, the balance is broken: roots, earthworms, and microorganisms can be damaged or killed, microorganisms that break down organic matter are disrupted, so nutrients may take longer to become available.
When logistically possible, a better alternative to digging may be to top the soil with compost or mulch, as this helps the soil to stay healthy and the plants to grow strong without being disturbed.
Final thoughts:
Caring for the soil, caring for our shared world
It’s easy in the rush of everyday life, of our personal struggles and routine, to forget how, as the roots of a tree, we are all part of a shared system with its benefits and difficulties, that our actions, even the smallest, can have an impact on everything and everyone around us… and still, so it is. As mentioned for plants, we humans are also not universes of our own.
With the decisions that we make everyday we can make the boat that we all are in either seal towards a bright future or gravitate towards damaged shores; what you do and how you move in this world matters not only for you but also for other people, animals, nature, for the general well-being of our society.
The negative news we often hear can bring our moral down and put us under the impression that it doesn’t matter what we do because things will never get better, which can be the biggest of lies.
If you keep your street clean, the people passing by will benefit from it. If you keep your soil healthy, the worms will live and thrive in it… then the birds will eat them and, fed and joyful, they will fly above us. Then even more of them will sing behind our windows and the songs they sing will make all of our lives better.
When we care about our soil, when we care about our neighbor, we always have the power to create the symphony.
