What’s in the Soil?
Organic Inputs for Healthy Garden Soil
Using organic amendments in your garden not only nourishes plants but also improves soil structure, microbial life, and long-term fertility. The Plant Guys™ craft a specific soil blend that includes only the best organic inputs. Below is a list of some of the inputs we use, along with their benefits and applications.
1. Local Compost
Benefits: Improves soil texture, boosts moisture retention, and provides a slow-release source of nutrients.
Usefulness: Rich in organic matter and beneficial microbes, our locally-sourced compost enhances soil fertility and suppresses plant diseases while supporting our local agricultural economy!
2. Manure (Aged or Composted)
Benefits: Adds vital nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the soil while improving microbial activity.
Usefulness: Aged or composted manure enhances plant growth and improves soil aeration. FYI: fresh manure should be avoided due to potential pathogens and high ammonia content.
3. Worm Castings
Benefits: Enhances soil aeration, increases water retention, and provides readily available nutrients.
Usefulness: Packed with beneficial bacteria and microbes, worm castings improve plant resilience against diseases and promote steady nutrient uptake. Ideal for seed starting and container gardening.
4. Bone Meal
Benefits: A slow-release source of phosphorus and calcium, essential for root development and flower production.
Usefulness: Especially beneficial for root vegetables, bulbs, and flowering plants. Helps strengthen root structures and improve fruit yield.
5. Blood Meal
Benefits: A high-nitrogen organic fertilizer that promotes lush, leafy growth.
Usefulness: Ideal for leafy greens, brassicas, and nitrogen-deficient soils. Helps plants develop strong stems and foliage.
6. Fish Meal
Benefits: Provides an easily absorbed nitrogen source along with trace minerals and beneficial enzymes.
Usefulness: A fast-acting fertilizer great for vegetables and heavy feeders. Encourages robust growth; a tactic passed down from our agricultural ancestors.
7. Kelp Meal
Benefits: Provides a broad spectrum of trace minerals, amino acids, and natural growth hormones like gibberellins and cytokinins.
Usefulness: Improves plant resilience against drought, frost, and diseases. Encourages root growth and enhances overall plant vigor when used as a soil amendment or foliar spray.
8. Azomite (Volcanic Rock Dust)
Benefits: Contains over 70 trace minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and silica — essential for plant metabolism.
Usefulness: Helps remineralize depleted soils, enhancing nutrient uptake and plant vitality. Especially useful in sandy or heavily cultivated soils.
11. Mulch (Leaves, Straw, Wood Chips, Bark etc.)
Benefits: Retains moisture, suppresses weeds, and adds organic matter as it decomposes.
Usefulness: A protective layer that regulates soil temperature and improves microbial activity. Over time, it breaks down into humus and fulvic acid, enriching the soil.
9. Mycorrhizal Fungi + Beneficial Soil Bacteria
Benefits: Forms a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, increasing nutrient and water absorption while improving resistance to drought and disease.
Usefulness: An absolute necessity in the plant world. Helps plants establish deeper roots and enhances nutrient uptake, leading to stronger, healthier, more prolific growth while combating pest and disease.
Conclusion
Incorporating these organic inputs into your garden soil will enhance fertility, promote healthier plants, and create a thriving ecosystem. By using a variety of these amendments, you can ensure balanced nutrition, improve soil structure, and sustain long-term soil health.
