Want to get closer to sustainability and a cleaner world? Well, gardening is a small step in the right direction but like all things good for the environment it is not as easy as black and white. Organic gardening is a time-consuming project that has great benefits for both you and the world. I’ll only focus on preparing a garden space that is in the ground not raised beds or pots but some of these steps are helpful for all types of growing areas. Gardening is more than just the plants and watering, it is the soil life and quality, types of plants, and location that affect it in every way. Here you will learn how to prepare a garden organically, maintain it, and prepare it for future plantings.
Soil life is essential for any garden organic or not without a good soil life, plants have no mutual relationships with each other and the environment. Bacterial and fungal life is necessary for success and without them plants heavily rely on the nutrients you give them because they lack the natural cycle of nitrogen and phosphorus without these organisms. There are different types of soil but mostly in Southern California, the soil is either clay(1), sandy(2), or a mix of both depending on your geographical location. Invertebrates and insects play an important role in the soil as well, especially in breaking down organic matter and aerating the soil. All of these will help you understand what your plants need and how to treat them most efficiently.
The first step is to determine what type of soil you are working with because different types of soil need different things. You can take a sample of your soil and send it to a lab but not everyone is going to do that so one test is to water your soil and let it get soaked, let the soil absorb the soil, then pick up a fistful of soil and squeeze it. If it holds its shape and doesn't break easily then you are working with clay soil, if it breaks without much force then it is sandy, and if it breaks after some force but doesn’t crumble then you have a good balance between clay and sand. In all cases, to improve the soil add compost or other organic matter like peat moss or coco coir to help improve soil quality. Another thing to look for is the water retention of your soil, is it not soaking up water then it might be hydrophobic which would require extra watering until the soil is no longer hydrophobic which will vary on each type of soil. A good rule of thumb would be to water a hydrophobic area of soil for two weeks watering every other day or every two days depending on the weather.
Second, determining the amount of life in the soil is not as straightforward but digging multiple holes in different locations and examining the soil for any bugs, worms, or other creatures is necessary to know the amount of life. From my experience, I started in a part of the yard that was super sandy, hydrophobic, and life deprived so I saw nothing in the soil. If you see nothing then there is most likely life but it is deeper in the soil and too small to affect the garden. But if you do find worms or any insects in the top six inches of the soil, you are on a good track but it doesn’t mean you have a sufficient amount of life in the soil.
Lastly, to add life to your garden space you can add compost, manures, worm castings(3), and organic fertilizers(4) that contain mycorrhizae. All of these will add bacterial and fungal species to your garden, to add insects is much different because the only real thing you can add to your garden in this respect is earthworms which are very beneficial to the garden other creatures come after the garden is established and plants can provide protection so they come later. While through all of this making sure to keep the top 6-8 inches of the soil moist will keep all of this life alive. Now after adding these materials a good rule is to just water this space for a few weeks before your growing space and cover it with mulch whether that be straw or wood chips since they are most organically and sustainably sourced.
After a few weeks, your growing space should be ready for planting. A good note is to dig an approximate 6-inch hole and check for moisture level and for signs of fungal life or any other life in the soil. When planting makes sure to use a granular fertilizer best is organic in the planting hole so the plants have enough nutrients. Fungal growth is easier to spot than bacterial because fungi create these paths that connect them and are easily seen on wood while bacteria are very hard to find by the human eye. When each season is concluded you should not pull out your plants but cut them at their bases and let the microbiological life consume the roots which will help enrich the soil and check for the quality of soil life too while planting for the next season. Organic fertilizer is also a good idea to add after each season to help put nutrients back into the soil or compost depending on the amount or price of either one respective to your budget.
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