Why the Soil Food Web is So Important
by John Yazo
Soil is the key to a successful organic garden. It is made up of a incredibly large diverse community of organisms. They range in a wide range of sizes from the smallest one cell bacteria, algae, fungi and protozoa to the more complex nematodes, micro-arthropods to the ones that are visible to the human eye like earthworms, insects, vertebrates and plants.
All these organisms are what do all the work in your garden soil to keep it healthy. They do this by eating organic matter and tunneling there way through the soil while depositing there castings to add nutrients to the soil for plants to feed from. This tunneling process is also what tills the soil and creates voids for air and water to travel through the soil, this all improves the soils structure.
Along with adding nutrients to the soil the food web in the soil keeps all these organisms growing healthy. These healthy organisms are a big part in defending your garden against unwanted pests and disease. Nature has it's own method to balance life with these natural methods. It is very important to keep this diverse community of life in your garden soil healthy by the method of organic gardening and staying away from pesticides that will harm it.
All together with a healthy soil structure you will have healthy plants that will provide yielding crops. These organisms are what makes it possible for us to have the clean air we breathe, fresh water we drink and healthy plants that will thrive.
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