Healthy soil – the foundation of a healthy life
Late autumn and winter are calling for warmth - both physically and emotionally. Warmth of the soul can be given to us not only by dear people and noble thoughts, but also by passionately working on something that inspires us!
Those who are close to nature and gardening find this warmth in contact with plants and soil. Several years ago, when I was passionate about indoor gardening, I tried to find the best soil for my garden, but no store could offer it. So I created it myself, and this article was the result!
There is a saying about the earth (soil): "From the earth you came and to the earth you must remain."
This applies to humans, animals, plants, and many other organisms.
We get food from the earth – food that the human body breaks down to nourish and build new body cells, and as a result, the processes necessary for life are ensured so that we can live and produce offspring.
In order for us to be healthier and live longer, our food must be healthy – meaning it must contain all the necessary substances (nutrients, minerals, micro and macro elements, vitamins, amino acids, etc.).
From the seed stage, as the plant grows and ripens its fruit, it also needs many different substances to be able to grow strong and produce beautiful, tasty and healthy fruits. Since the plant basically takes these substances from the soil, the soil must also be rich enough to provide the plant with everything it needs.
To summarize and simplify the processes that begin in a plant seed and continue to a healthy human body, we can say this: “Human health begins with healthy soil.” So, if we want to be healthy, we need to eat food grown in healthy soil.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at soil - its composition, properties, and the processes that occur in it. I'll tell you how to create healthy soil yourself - for growing plants in pots.
What is soil made of?
Soil is made up of minerals, organic matter, water and air. See diagram:
All of these components are important, but the most life-giving is in organic matter. It consists primarily of humus, as well as plant and animal remains, living plant roots, and living organisms.
Soil organisms include: fungi, bacteria, earthworms, actinomycetes, algae, nematodes, protozoa, and others.
It is interesting to note that there are more living organisms in a single handful of soil than there are people on our entire planet! This proves how important these tiny living creatures are.
These small creatures, called microorganisms, improve soil structure, significantly contribute to plant growth and development by participating in processes that provide plants with necessary nutrients, and also greatly contribute to plant immunity against diseases and pests.
Various processes are constantly taking place in the soil, the soil is constantly changing. In a natural environment, for example, in a forest - especially in one where we allow it to grow naturally, without cutting it down and so on. without damaging it, the soil is regularly fertilized - leaves of trees and shrubs, parts of trees and herbs fall off, which are processed by the organisms living in and on the soil, so that the plants growing in this environment can absorb them again and continue to provide the processes necessary for life. There is a constant interaction between different life forms, which is generally complex, but best occurs without human intervention. You can read more about the mutual cooperation of plants in the forest in the fascinating book “The Secret Life of Trees” by Pēteris Volēbens.
However, if we interfere with the processes of natural life, for example, raking leaves in our garden, collecting mowed grass, thus removing natural fertilizer from the plants, then we take responsibility for the future life of our plants, and we ourselves must also be involved in increasing fertility. So, we ourselves must contribute to the healthy and rich soil in our garden. This is especially important indoors, when growing houseplants, because plants in a room are even more removed from their natural environment than those growing outside the window – in the garden.
When we create a garden, we usually want to grow the plants we like. It is much rarer for a gardener to start by asking, “What kind of soil is in my garden and what will grow well there?”
Of course, nowadays, when there is such a wide variety of soil mixtures and substrates available, even in a sandy place we can replace part of the existing soil with exactly what the chosen plant needs. For example, if we choose to plant a blueberry seedling in Jurmala, where the soil is mostly sandy, we buy acidic peat (PH ~4.5), dig a hole (at least 1 m in diameter and 0.70 m deep), and spread peat (mixed with a little compost) into the hole, and only then plant the seedling itself.
In this way, we ourselves create an appropriate environment for the plant we want to grow and give us delicious berries. However, it should be noted that the dominant soil in your garden will still be sand, which leaches nutrients much faster than other types of soil. Therefore, sandy soils should be worked with especially carefully. It is only a matter of time (a few years) when, as a result of the influence of groundwater and other conditions, the sand will mix with the peat you brought, washing away part of the peat.
The good news is that as this process progresses slowly, the plant will gradually partially adapt to the new conditions and survive, but in order to continue to expect a good harvest, we will have to replenish the soil with peat again and again.
How to choose suitable soil?
It is easier to create gardens indoors with soil when we create a garden in a pot, which is a closed environment and is not affected by the soil nearby - in another pot or in the garden outside the window. Here we are completely in control of what soil we will plant the plants in, and if we can provide all the other conditions for the growth of specific plants (air temperature, lighting, humidity level in the air, enough space, etc.), then we can grow our own pineapples, bananas, oranges, and almost any exotic - plants growing in the tropics or subtropics.
We can create the necessary soil for potted plants ourselves, because in my experience and that of other enthusiastic gardeners, store-bought soil mixtures are not always the best option. Not only in terms of their ingredients and proportions, but also because in some of the store-bought soil mixtures, the soil itself is heat-treated, which on the one hand may seem good - weed seeds and bad microorganisms - pathogens have been destroyed. However, at the same time, the good soil microorganisms have also died. In fact, there is no need to be afraid of the so-called "bad" microorganisms, because they also have to be present for nature to have a balance, but it is necessary to promote the amount of good microorganisms and their diversity in the soil to be as large as possible. Only biologically diverse soil can be considered healthy soil.
We can prepare our own soil, the composition of which is close to the natural soil of a specific plant (group of plants).
To prepare the appropriate soil, first of all, you need to understand what the chosen plant is like in its natural conditions - where it came from. There is enough information on the Internet about what is a good helper in soil formation. In addition, you can also experiment and prepare the soil according to intuition. For people who have experience in gardening and who are in frequent contact with nature and plants, this usually becomes easy and self-evident.
Now let's take a closer look at several of the main materials used to create soil for houseplants and also for outdoor use - for potted crops - and their properties:
Peat – structures the soil well, so it is often used as a basic element for various types of soils that are available in stores. Peat is mainly obtained from the so-called “high bogs”, where there is an acidic environment. Therefore, in order to grow plants that need a neutral or more alkaline environment, this peat is neutralized, as well as enriched with various nutrients, which is then called a substrate. Peat is a good absorber and storer of moisture, and therefore various nutrients.
Sand – made up of many small pebbles. Forms a loose, well-draining (permeable) soil structure, but has a very poor moisture absorption (accumulation) ability. It should be remembered that there is both freshwater sand and saltwater (sea) sand. Sea sand is salty and will not be suitable for most plants. Therefore, it must be thoroughly rinsed of salt particles before use.
Gravel – similar to sand, only with significantly larger particles (pebbles, stones).
Clay – heavy, dense soil, very good at absorbing (accumulating) moisture and nutrients, which are then gradually released to the plant roots. Most plants will not grow in pure clay, because the density hinders water drainage and thus blocks oxygen access. Therefore, it must be mixed with sand, gravel, peat. Clay soils are rich in microelements. To make soil formation easier, you can use dry clay powder (without additives) available in building materials stores.
Compost – obtained by composting biodegradable materials, waste (leaves, plant parts, straw, hay, shavings, cattle and bird droppings, food scraps, etc.). Rich in various nutrients and elements, can be added to the soil as a fertilizer – improves fertility and physical properties of the soil.
I will distinguish biohumus (vermicompost, worm compost) separately from compost, because nowadays it is widely and conveniently used, but unlike “regular” compost – it is created using special earthworms (e.g. “California red”). Biohumus enriches the soil with various nutrients, humus substances, microorganisms, micro and macro elements, etc., improves soil structure, promotes growth and plant health. In short – it makes the soil biologically diverse, lively.
Expanded clay – it is made from pieces of dried and fired clay with a highly porous structure. Therefore, its property – to absorb nutrients like a sponge – is similar to that of clay itself. However, since expanded clay is formed into larger or smaller balls that resemble pebbles, it is also very well draining (permeable to water and air). Therefore, it can be mixed with heavier soils, and it is also advisable to use it as a substrate several centimeters thick in flower pots, on top of which the base soil is then poured. This will ensure good water drainage and air access to the roots.
Lime – reduces soil acidity, improves soil structure, air permeability, and microbial activity. It is mainly used when the soil needs to be made more alkaline (the soil pH needs to be increased).
In addition to creating a soil mixture, you can also use soil from your garden, tree bark mulch, unrotted leaves, etc., depending on what soil specific plants need.
Water-soluble mineral fertilizers are also used as nutrients, but my experience shows that plants can be grown very healthy, beautiful, and yield delicious fruit using only natural materials and substances. However, this should remain the responsibility and discretion of each gardener.
How to make your own soil - step-by-step instructions
To create soil - a mixture of its various components - you need to take a container of the appropriate size (bowl, tub, bucket, etc.). The container should be large enough to comfortably mix the soil in.
When creating soil, you should start with a “skeleton” – for example, peat, which is then supplemented with minerals (sand, clay, etc.), organic matter (compost, biohumus, etc.), and microbiological fertilizers. Their proportions depend on what plants will grow there. A large part of the plants growing in tropical climates that people grow as houseplants need well-draining soil, so it is important to add materials that create an appropriate environment. Therefore, sand, gravel, and fine expanded clay should be mixed in. So that the soil does not have to be watered too often, it must be able to absorb water. Peat itself does this, but adding clay powder will achieve an even better effect. Although we have already added microorganisms with compost and biohumus, it is desirable to increase their diversity and quantity by using microbiological fertilizers, which are usually peat-based, so they are easily mixed with the rest of the soil mass.
Then it is all thoroughly mixed together and poured – soaked with water.
It is very important to observe the pH level of the prepared soil. Each component of the soil has its own pH, so the combination of all components will create a balanced pH. If, after preparing the soil, there is doubt whether the pH is appropriate for the plants that are intended to be planted there, it is advisable to determine the pH of the prepared soil (using litmus papers or an indicator solution). It should also be remembered that water affects the pH of the soil. Therefore, you should also find out the pH level of the water you are watering, and understand how watering will affect your newly created soil in the future.
Plants like company.
When creating indoor gardens, I usually choose larger pots that can accommodate multiple plants. In my work, I have found that most plants enjoy growing next to each other and collaborating much more than being separated in individual pots. I read a study some time ago that found that about 90% of all plants on our planet are not solitary – they, like us, need company.
Plants growing together complement each other, giving and taking the substances necessary for life processes. This mainly happens at the root level, and it involves not only the plants themselves, but also many microorganisms - the indigenous inhabitants of the soil. I do not throw away the leaves and twigs that have fallen from the plants, but bury them in the soil. At room temperature, microorganisms in the soil process the softer parts of the plants (e.g., leaves) into humus within a week. Thus, the fallen leaves and other plant parts become food for the roots. It is an eternal, never-ending cycle that constantly occurs in nature, and which each of us can also use in our indoor garden.
My indoor garden even has earthworms, which feed on both the buried plant parts and the pieces of pumpkin, apple, banana, etc. I also give them. As a thank you for the treats they give me, the earthworms enrich the soil with their own biohumus. Therefore, I have to add additional, processed nutrients much less often, and the soil is constantly renewed and loosened. Just like nature designed it.
We need to maintain a living soil rich in microorganisms. Then the plants will be beautiful and healthy – with a strong immune system, and their fruits – delicious and healthy for us, humans!
Kaspars Parfenovichs
The article was also published on the portal delfi.lv/majadarzs/