Tillage
No-till Inspiration
No-till Inspiration February is usually the time when I a) really wish I’d written down all the ideas I had for this year’s garden while I was packing up at the end of last season and b) start to flip through books for inspiration and new planting ideas. Do you ever find yourself relating to […]
Seasonal Sampling
Soil biology numbers change across seasonal cycles. Understanding what mediates the flurries of activity of these wee beings is helpful in deciding when and how to check who is home in your soil. Numbers peak when plants are actively growing and excreting “liquid sunshine” through their roots. Soil temperature, moisture and other types of microbe […]
Herbs, Weeds, and a Nice Surprise
The most challenging thing about helping people partner with microbes in their gardens is encouraging a shift in mindset. Gardening is a bit like parenting – there are lots of opinions and different ways of doing things, methods are handed down through generations, and results can sometimes be frustrating. Thankfully for soil health (and […]
Bring Back the (Right) Microbes!
Every region has unique microorganisms dwelling in the soil, adapted to the climate, flora, fauna and geological history of a place. Unfortunately there are some parts of the planet where the soil has become so degraded – in watersheds where forests are long gone and in lands where the soil has long been tilled and […]
The Dance of Succession
There’s a dance going on, above and below ground. It’s an intelligent dance – in ways we are just beginning to understand – and it’s synergistic, responsive and adaptive. Plants and microorganisms engaged together, living and dying, as nature moves forward in succession from rock to old growth forest over vast amounts of time. So […]