Vibrant soil is the lifeblood of healthy plants. Plants, shrubs and trees need nutrients, moisture and air circulation to thrive. Unhealthy soil devoid of nutrients and organic matter cannot provide for the long term needs of plants and causes greater stress during periods of heat and drought.
Sussex Conservation District website defines soil health as “the continued capacity to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. Good soil health is a cornerstone of economic and environmental sustainability”.
Effective marketing campaigns have taught us to reach for quick-fix chemical fertilizers that are short-lived and do nothing to encourage optimum growing environments. Recommended treatments provide a boost of nutrients designed to dissipate over a specific period of time. Hence, these treatments must be reapplied every 6-8 weeks. Expensive reapplications keep a plant green or blooming, but do nothing to build beneficial soil organisms.Soil quality deteriorates over time if it does not receive regular inputs of organic elements. Adding an inch of compost every year will positively sustain a living ecosystem.
