How Organic Matter Fuels the Soil Food Web
by John Yazo
Organic matter that is stored in your gardens soil is the energy and nutrients that are needed for plants and other organisms to survive. Bacteria, fungi along with other soil dwelling organisms are what transforms this organic matter into the nutrients that plants need to thrive.
There are many different kinds of organic matter compounds and there are ones that are more useful than others. There is organic matter that is in the form of humus and active. Humus is the decomposed organic matter that has reached a point where it will no longer decompose or further breakdown and the active organic matter is what is readily available to the living organisms in the soil to feed from and decompose into a nutrient rich humus.
Excessive turning of your gardens soil will increase spurts of activity with the bacteria and other organic matter consuming organisms but will deplete the active potion first. Building up organic matter and reducing the amount of times you turn over the soil will raise the active portion of the organic matter which in return will provide an environment that the soil dwelling organisms will call home and work hard for you to improve your gardens soil structure.
No- Till, Lasagna and even Straw Bale Gardening are all good methods of gardening that will greatly benefit the highly diversified community of life that lives in your gardens soil. This life is what makes for a healthy garden soil that in return will provide for a healthy, high yielding and very productive crop. It not only make for a healthy garden but by growing healthy plants it will also benefit by keeping the air that we breathe and the water that we drink clean.
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