Keep Your Soil Healthy

Once you’ve got healthy soil, keeping it that way is mostly about maintaining a desirable environment for the many creatures that live there. Here are some of the ways to keep your soil healthy.   

Add organic material 

Allow leaves to decompose in the garden. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Why 
• Provides a slow and steady supply of plant nutrients.
• Improves soil structure - promotes movement of air and water, and a better home for plant roots and soil organisms . 

How
• Allow leaves and other plant materials to decompose in the garden.
• Leave grass clippings on the lawn.
• Use compost as a mulch.
• Keep plants growing throughout the year - plant roots contribute carbon to soil.

Maximize soil cover  

Protect soil by keeping it covered with plants and mulch. Photo, Arnaldo Aldana, Unsplash

Why
• Moderates soil temperature and conserves moisture. 
• Provides food and habitat for fungi, bacteria, and arthropods, and prevents the destruction of microbial habitat by erosion.

How
• Keep soil covered by plants, their residue or organic mulch.
• Keep plants growing as long as possible to provide food for the soil microbes during the entire growing season.
• Leave plant residue in place.

Minimize disturbance  

Why
• Soil disturbance from tilling, leveling, or changing its natural physical arrangement is destructive and disruptive to plant roots and soil microbes
• Creates a hostile environment for underground organisms.
• It can destroy soil structure, and make it more susceptible to erosion, carbon loss, and ponding.

How
• Avoid tilling or turning soil.
• Add organic materials the way nature does: the "no-till" way of continually adding new layers of dead and decomposing plant matter that feeds the soil and improves its structure.
•To avoid soil compaction, do not walk over bare soil.
• Tilling may be necessary if you’ve got sticky clay or need to correct deficiencies in organic matter or nutrients. A one-time mixing in of organic matter can aid in creating more workable soil.
•Learn about sheet composting, also known as lasagna composting or sheet mulching.

Encourage biodiversity 

Why
• A wide mixture of plants supports the diversity of soil microorganisms in the soil. 
• Landscapes that enhance biodiversity are more resilient to pests, diseases, and even the effects of climate change.

How
• Grow native plants, which are the cornerstone of the incredible biodiversity in Marin and throughout California.
• Include different plant types (perennial, annual, woody, grassy, broadleaf, legume, etc.) and plants with different root structures (tap, fibrous, etc.).  
• Create habitat for pollinators and other beneficial wildlife

Minimize the use of chemicals 

Why
• Fertilizers and pesticides may be toxic to microorganisms in the soil. Some pesticides break down quickly while others may persist for long periods.  

How
• Add organic compost rather than synthetic fertilizer.
• Choose disease-resistant plant varieties and plants that will grow well in your site.
• Manage pests by providing habitat for natural enemies. 
• Use an integrated pest management approach to help reduce the use of pesticides.