As a first-year college student studying horticulture (and later agronomy) I had no idea what I was in for when I signed up for that first Introduction to Soil Science course. Growing up, gardening and working on my family’s dairy farm, soil was something that we often talked about, mainly if it was wet or dry, rocky or smooth, and of course to stay out of the garden when it was wet; however, I really didn’t understand how important managing it was or how many different parts could be studied!
The technical definition of soil is the natural body composed of solids, liquids, gasses, and living matter that is capable of supporting plant life and has properties resulting from the five factors of soil formation. Wow! A mouthful of words, but a key point from this definition is the word NATURAL— soil is what covers the earth naturally and helps to absorb and disperse solar radiation and precipitation. It also provides an anchor for plant life. With harsh treatment, this living portion can be damaged and thus can take many years to build back. It is important to know too that healthy soils help to mitigate climate change as they store a huge amount of carbon in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) and organic matter.
Soils, plants, and animals are highly interdependent. Soils support and feed microbes and plants which feed animals. Dead plants and soil critters replenish the soils’ organic matter and nutrient supply, completing the cycle. We know that healthy soils produce healthy plants. Many experts believe that improving soil health is the most important thing we can do to make our farms and gardens more climate-resilient.
Why are soils so important in dealing with climate change?
They store huge amounts of carbon in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) and organic matter, all of the living, dead, and decomposing plants, microbes, and animals that live in soil. Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas that is warming the planet. Deforestation, the removal of wetlands and peatlands, and soil tillage cause the release of huge amounts of CO2. Warmer temperatures cause more rapid organic matter decomposition and turnover, especially if soils are tilled and uncovered.
Climate change is causing mid-Atlantic weather to be warmer and wetter with more extreme weather events, including periodic drought. This increases the risk of soil erosion and nutrient run-off from intense rainfall, and the risk of plant stress from excessively wet or dry soils.
Soil from a landscaping project that moved off-site in 2018. Maryland averaged 73 inches of rain that year!
Sunshine, increasing temperatures, warm rain showers, and the return of migratory birds are all signs that Spring is getting closer. They are all reasons to be excited about Spring and all the possibilities that the new gardening season will hold.
It’s always tempting to go out and start sowing seeds at the first glimpse of sunshine, but most seasoned gardeners know that patience is the best policy. It takes several weeks of warm air temperatures and sunshine for the soil temperature to get warm enough to signal the seeds to germinate. Mother nature provides mechanisms to protect seeds from germinating too early (called “seed dormancy”) and there are certain requirements that must be met before sprouting occurs.
Did you know that every seed has an optimum range of soil temperatures for germination? This factor helps determine which seeds are cool-season versus warm-season. Penn State Extension has a great article regarding Soil Temperature and Seed Germination that you should spend a few minutes reading.
In this month episode, we are chatting about the wonderful world of worms. Yes, worms. Although worms are slimy and wiggly, they play a vital role in our ecosystem. Earthworms increase air and water into the soil horizon, and usually, their presence is an indicator of a healthy soil system rich in nutrients and organic matter. Think of them as tiny tillers that incorporate organic matter, air, and water into the soil.
Timing : Ecology and Worms:~ 2:25 Vermicomposting: ~ 5:06 Invasive Jumping Worms: ~ 14:26 Native Plant of the month: Black-eyed Susan’s- Rudbeckia spp.at ~ 22:25 Bug of the Month : Fire Flies/ Lightning bugs at ~29:10 Garden Tips of the Month at ~ 36:00
If you have any garden related questions please email us or look us up on Facebook.
The Garden Thyme Podcast is a monthly podcast where we help you get down and dirty in your garden. The Garden Thyme Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension. Hosts are Mikaela Boley- Senior Agent Associate (Talbot County) for Horticulture, Rachel Rhodes- Agent Associate for Horticulture (Queen Anne’s County), and Emily Zobel-Senior Agent Associate for Agriculture (Dorchester County).
All right, maybe not the beach. But as we exit spring and enter the “oh maybe I’d rather stay indoors in the AC” season, I’ve got some recently-published books that might encourage you to get out there and make your garden better (but you can read them inside on a hot day and count that as horticultural education). Want to learn how to identify and deal with pests? Want to know if there’s anything to this “companion planting” stuff? And what’s up with “regenerative gardening”—can your soil really feed your plants? Read on!
If only I’d known. How many times have we slapped our forehead at our gardening follies and mumbled that under our breath. So today, I am paying homage to the lessons my garden has taught me.
Soil is god.
Healthy soil grows healthy plants. So pay attention to your dirt, um, soil. Feed it lots of organic matter: compost, chipped leaves, grass clippings. And be gentle with it. Tilling destroys soil structure and harms the soil critters that make soil healthy.
Most bugs are good.
Only one in ten insects is harmful. The rest are good guys that help control bad bugs. And another thing. The uglier the bug, the more beneficial it is. Look up assassin bugs or cicada killer wasps. Yikes.
Assassin bug
Chemicals kill bugs good and bad.
Most grab-and-go chemicals kill indiscriminately. Do you really want to take out your allies? I think not. Choose less toxic organic products and do things like hand-picking and crop rotation to keep the bad boys at bay.
Right plant, right place.
Placing plants where they can not only survive but thrive is smart. Put a water-loving plant in hot, dry clay and it will die. Guar-an-teed. Find out what a plant needs and give it just that for great results. Don’t tempt fate.
Plant tags lie.
Many plant tags have good information, but it goes only so far. So, do a bit of research online or in a good gardening book to confirm what a plant needs as far as light, moisture, soil and space. My beautyberry is 4 feet wider and taller than its tag indicated.
Respect frost dates.
Yes, I know. You want the first tomatoes on the block. But if you plant them early and they get zapped, you have no tomatoes. So wait to plant tender seedlings. Mid-May is good. Later is better if your area stays cooler longer.
Always lay garden rakes and pitchforks with the tines away and down.
Enough said.
Landscaping fabric is evil.
Advertised as a weed block, this black devil mesh does nothing but give weeds something to sink their roots into. Weeds grow both up and down through it. You will spend half your life wrestling it out of your beds.
Adopting sickly plants is a bad idea.
There is a reason they look unwell. Whether they have been watered too much or too little, baked or chilled, had too much or too little light, or beset by bugs or disease, avoid them. Smart money is on the healthy plants.
Impatiens with gray mold
What we do in our garden matters.
From choosing organic bug controls to making compost, picking drought-tolerant plants to planting flowers for pollinators, every action we take has consequences. Making earth-friendly choices makes our gardens and communities healthier.
I hope the lessons my garden has taught me help you to avoid some pitfalls. In gardening there are oh-so-many ways to get it right. And wrong. The fun is in the trying.
By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension. This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media. Read more by Annette.
Healthy soil grows healthy plants. If you want a vigorous, productive garden, protect and improve your soil.
Soil is made up of minerals, air, water, and organic matter. This skin of the Earth anchors and grows our food, filters our water, and recycles vital nutrients like carbon.
How do you build healthier soil? You feed it.
Compost, chipped leaves, untreated grass clippings, and other organic amendments can be turned in or used as mulch. Cover crops can be planted in the fall and turned into the soil in spring.
This organic matter lightens heavy clay soils. It improves soil structure. It helps the soil hold water and nutrients. It helps to suppress disease and feeds beneficial soil organisms.
Yes, soil is alive. An intricate community of microbes, fungi, beneficial insects, worms and more lives beneath your feet. Keeping this gang happy helps your plants growing their best.
That’s why we discourage tilling. When you till, you disturb the soil community, literally turning their world upside down. You also damage soil structure and bring weed seeds to the surface.
So till less or not at all. Instead, use a garden fork or broadfork to gently loosen soil, if needed. Broadforks are simply wide forks you rock to aerate soil.
How else can you improve your soil? Get a soil test. For $10 to $15 you can find out just what fertilizer your soil needs – and doesn’t need.
Soil tests can save you time and money and keep excess fertilizers out of our waterways.
Next, go deep. Scoop a few soil samples in your garden, going at least 6 inches down. Mix the sample and let it dry. Scoop a cup or two into the bag, box it up, and mail it to a lab.
You’ll have your results in a week or two. The test will tell you your soil’s pH, nutrient levels, and percent of organic matter. You’ll also get specific fertilizer recommendations for what you’re growing.
You can also help keep soil healthy by not walking on it, especially when it’s wet. That causes compaction. Air, water, nutrients, and roots have a tough time moving through dense soil.
Instead, create paths or strategically place stepping stones so you can walk between rows of plants.
I know you’re eager to garden, but don’t work wet soil. This also causes compaction.
To test if your soil is dry enough to work, grab a handful of and squeeze it into a ball. Now, bounce it gently. If it stays intact, your soil is too wet to work. If it crumbles it’s ready.
And never, ever till wet soil. That wrecks its structure and the soil community. Think Armageddon.
Great gardens grow from the bottom up. Protect and improve your soil to ensure it rewards you with year after year of productive plantings.
Well-tended soil yields beautiful results such as the flowers at the Washington County Master Gardeners’ Boonsboro Library garden.
By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension. This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media. Read more by Annette.
