WE FEED THE SOIL
The following, explaining soil, is provided by the USDA(United States Department of Agriculture).
What is Soil?
Soil is the top layer of the Earth’s surface, like icing on a birthday cake!
Your grass grows on it.
You might call it dirt instead of soil.
What forms soil? Soil is made from rocks that are broken up into tiny pieces over a long period of time, as well as dead leaves, roots, twigs, dead bugs, and stuff like that. It also has water and air in it.
What does soil do that makes it so important?
Soil is what holds plants up so they don't fall over. Plants would look silly lying on the ground. Is top soil good for this also?
Soil makes food for plants to grow big and strong just like your mom or dad makes food for you to eat.
Soil also helps rain and snow soak into the ground. That way plants can get a drink when they are thirsty. Rain and snow soaking into the ground also helps prevent flooding.
Best of all, some of this ground water eventually ends up in the streams and lakes that we like to swim and fish in.
Soil being the most important component of a great yard and garden. We feed the soil not the plant. Get soil supplies here at
SOIL .
Soil is alive. There are lots of critters who live in the soil.
There are lots of fantastic facts about the soil that you will want to know.
Almost all the food you eat, fiber(material) for the clothes you wear, and lumber for the house you live in is produced by soil.
A single shovelful of soil can contain more species of organisms than live aboveground in the entire Amazon rain forest. That is, soil in the deciduous forest.
One cup of soil may hold as many bacteria as there are people on Earth. That's over 6 billion!
The weight of all the bacteria in 1 acre of soil can equal the weight of one or two cows.
Mature trees can have as many as 5 million active root tips found in the soil.
A teaspoonful of forest soil may hold more than 10 miles of fungi.
Almost all freshwater travels over soil or through soil before entering our rivers, lakes, and aquifers.
Plants can remove 400 to 2,000 punds of water from the soil for every 2 pounds of plant material produced.
About 85% of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere comes from the action soil microorganisms feeding on organic matter in the soil.
When you take a step in a forest, you are being help up on the backs of thousands of bugs.
LET'S SEE WHAT IS IN THE SOIL
Arthropods
They don't have a backbone. They do, however, have jointed legs.
Soil arthropods include ants, termites, spiders, mites, centipedes, millipedes, and many other critters. You would probably call them bugs!
They do many important things in the soil. For instance, they stir up the soil so that it gets more air. They chew up dead plants into tiny pieces so fungi and bacteria can use them. They help spread tiny soil critters throughout the soil.
They also are a food source for larger soil animals.
Burrowing Animals
Some animals like prairie dogs, ground squirrels, and badgers like to dig holes in the soil. These holes and these animals are very common on rangelands
Many other animals, such as owls, snakes, lizards, and rabbits use the holes the other animals dug to live in.
When the animals dig holes, it helps mix up the soil and allows rainwater to enter the soil. This helps feed the thirsty plants and also helps prevent flooding.
Nematodes
Nematodes are tiny roundworms that are common in grassland soils.
Some are serious plant pests, but many do useful things. For example, they help provide nutrients for plants and also help mix up the soil.
Protozoa
Protozoa are tiny animals that mainly feed on bacteria.
They can use many tiny hairs, temporary feet, or a few whip-like hairs to move through the soil.
When they eat bacteria, they help release nitrogen and other nutrients for plants to use.
Bacteria
Bacteria are very tiny, one-celled critters that aren't plants or animals. They are much simpler than plants and animals.
They can be shaped like a grain of rice or have other shapes.
They are so small that you need a powerful microscope to see them, but the soil contains huge numbers of them.
They help make nitrogen for plants.
Some bacteria live free in the soil; others grow on the roots of plants like clover and alfalfa.
Bacteria also help rot dead plants to recycle nutrients.
Fungi
Fungi are primitive plants that don't have chlorophyll that allows other plants to make their food from the sun.
Some types of fungi grow on plant roots. The fungi have many filaments that are like thin hairs that spread all through the soil far beyond the roots. This allows the fungi to help the plants get food and water from the soil. And, the plant makes the sugar the fungi need for enery. So you see, the fungi help the plant and the plant helps the fungi!
Some range plants, including many native grasses, can't grow without these fungi growing on their roots.
Other fungi form mushrooms and can help rot dead plants to recycle nutrients.
Biological Soil Crusts
Biological soil crusts are made up of a bunch of tiny living plants and bacteria that grow together on or just below the soil surface.
They grow on rangeland all over the world.
They are often dark in color when dry.
They may become green, orange, or yellow when wet.
These living soil crusts do many helpful things.
They help keep the soil from washing or blowing away.
It makes nitrogen, which helps plants growing nearby that need it for food.
It also helps keep out weeds.
What is the soil food web?
The soil food web is a way of relating soil organisms to each other based on what they eat. The soil food web ‘starts’ with organic matter. This could be crop residues, pasture or any plant material in the soil. Bacteria and fungi consume organic matter breaking it down in the process. Bacteria and fungi are in turn consumed by nematodes, protozoa, earthworms, collembola and some mite species. Nematodes and protozoa are consumed by mites. Mites and collembola are eaten by beetles and ants.
Addtional topics about our soil:
Click here for a eye opening way to see what we are ruining
What We Can Do For Soil Quality
What Soil Does
The Importance Of Soil pH
Apply Only The Nutrients That Plants Can Use
Why A Soil Test?
Taking A Soil Test
FAQ
What Soil To Grow Jewel Orchid In?
How To Make Acidic Soil Alkaline Organically
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jim ellison enterprises
342 broken arrow
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info@basic-info-4-organic-fertilizers.com
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