Celebrate and support the amazing structure underfoot
Protect wet soil by not stepping on it. (Stepping stones are especially useful in rainy weather.) And let it dry out a few days before digging in to plant anything. Kathy Morrison
The soil around Sacramento is pretty soggy today, a normal situation for December. We gardeners know not to walk on or dig in soggy soil, which can harm its important structure by destroying microbial relationships and pressing out the air. When it dries, clay soil without air basically is a brick – bad for the gardener, the plants and the soil’s health.
Tuesday, Dec. 5, marked World Soil Day, established to recognize and celebrate the amazing world under our feet. The theme for this year's observance, selected by the United Nations, was “Soil and water, a source of life.”
We can’t underestimate the importance of soil health. Parts of the world have soil that’s been so overworked, eroded or contaminated by heavy metals that it can’t support life, and that’s a tragedy.
So it’s appropriate to appreciate our soil every day. Here are ways to boost and maintain healthy soil at the garden and neighborhood level:
– Minimum tillage. That noisy rototiller is totally unnecessary to planting and harvesting healthy crops. Keep the hand tilling or “double digging” to a minimum, too.
– Crop rotation. Be aware of the plant families, and avoid planting members of the same family in the same spot year after year. Tomatoes, for example, should not be followed by peppers or eggplant, all members of the Solanaceae family. Try garlic (Amaryllidaceae) or spinach (Amaranthaceae) instead.
– Addition of organic matter. Compost, worm castings, aged animal manure, leaves and kelp meal are all appropriate soil amendments. And you don’t even have to dig them in: Spread them across the top of the soil and let the rain (like now!) or irrigation do the work to enhance the soil below it.
– Planting of cover crops. This isn’t called “green manure” for nothing. A cover crop – vetch, clover, bell beans or winter rye, for a few examples – planted now will grow over winter. It then can be cut down in February, raked into the soil and be broken down in time for planting summer vegetables.
Healthy soil also can enhance water infiltration and storage, did you know? The practices mentioned here contribute to carbon sequestration, too. So when we keep the soil healthy, we help the fight against water pollution and climate change. Our world's health starts with what’s underfoot.
Comments
0 comments have been posted.Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
Thanks to Our Sponsor!
Local News
Sites We Like
Garden Checklist for week of Dec. 8
Make the most of dry weather while we have it this week. Rain is returning.
* Rake leaves away from storm drains and gutters. Recycle those leaves as mulch or add to compost.
* It’s not too late to plant something. Seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Trees and shrubs can be planted now, especially bare-root varieties such as fruit trees or rose bushes. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from winter rains.
* Plant bare-root berries, kiwifruit, grapes, artichokes, horseradish and rhubarb.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Brighten the holidays with winter bloomers such as poinsettias, amaryllis, calendulas, Iceland poppies, pansies and primroses.
* Keep poinsettias in a sunny, warm location; bring them inside at night or if there’s rain.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while they’re dormant.
* Clean and sharpen garden tools before storing for the winter.
* Mulch, water and cover tender plants to protect them during threat of frost. Succulent plants are at particular risk if temperatures drop below freezing. Make sure to remove coverings during the day.
* Rake and remove dead leaves and stems from dormant perennials.
Powered by California Local
