What Type Soil Do You Have?
By Sherrie Ottinger (The Tennessee Dirtgirl)
What kind of soil do you have, and what do you need it to do? Soil is made up of inorganic particles – sand, silt, clay – as well as organic (things that rot) matter, plus air and water. Soil quality/health is dependent on the proportion of each of these, and abundance/health of the life components, called fungi, microorganisms, and subterranean insects and critters.
Soil that’s needed for a pasture will be different than soil needed for a vegetable garden. Why? Pasture grasses have different requirements for pH, and nutrients. A pasture will be a little more forgiving with compaction, and need a different approach when dealing with this. Soil tests are recommended, and there are choices. Again, talk with someone who does this. There are also tests you can create out of basics at home. The use of a piece of ground will also dictate whether it needs to be “rich” or “lean”. This refers to whether it’s full of the 13 nutrients, and trace minerals needed to grow, or it’s low in fertility. One of the best ways to build rich soil is with organic matter, such as good compost.
What about tilth, or how a soil feels in your hand? What about texture, or how well a handful will hold shape, become a hard clump, or crumble apart? These are all important parts of managing your soil and figuring out what needs to be corrected.
If the soil is going to grow forage and pasture, one of the best additions to your plan is rotational grazing, and allowing your animals to take care of your seeding and fertilizing. Correct pasture management will help you grow a healthy soil environment, while feeding the animals on pasture. With a well-maintained pasture, it’s possible to grow nutritious meat on simply forage and grass alone.
For vegetable gardens and fields, management will be different. Fluffier soil, that’s rich in nutrients, and a surface completely covered, will build an environment where vegetables, or row crops, will have less moisture loss and temperature variables. Rain will soak in instead of running off. Insect and disease pressure is less with this kind of gardening. Yes, you’ll still deal with some weeding, but if you keep your cover thick, sunlight won’t wake as many weed seeds up, so less will grow, and they’ll be weaker.
If we allow ourselves to really understand how everything is connected; nutrient-filled food comes from well cared for soil. Healthy, hardy livestock comes from paying attention to, and adjusting the pastures they live and feed on. To slow down and become observant of natural processes, requires a different way of seeing things. Without trying you’ll begin to have a greater respect for how all life fits together.
The Tennessee Dirtgirl
