Outlines proven, sustainable methods for growing healthy food and plants that contribute to a healthy planet and a healthy you. Grow vigorous, more pest-resistant vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants by using complete and balanced nutrients -- far beyond the simplistic, imbalanced concept of NPK. Healthy soil doesn't happen just by composting, fertilizing or companion planting. It happens by using a holistic approach -- outlined in this book and crafted right in your garden.

This is your down-to-earth, complete manual for achieving great gardening results with your own rich, organic soil.How do you recognize healthy soil? How much can your existing soil be improved? What are the best amendments to use for your soil? Let Building Soil answer your questions and be your guide on gardening from the ground up. Fertilizing, tilling, weed management, and irrigation all affect the quality of your soil. Using author Elizabeth Murphy’s detailed instructions, anyone can become a successful soil-based gardener, whether you want to start a garden from scratch or improve an existing garden.If you want methods that won’t break your back, are good for the environment, and create high-yielding and beautiful gardens of all shapes and sizes, this is the book for you! Create classic landscape gardens, grow a high-yielding orchard, nurture naturally beautiful lawns, raise your household veggies, or run a profitable farm.A soil-based approach allows you to see not just the plants, but the living system that grows them. Soil-building practices promote more ecologically friendly gardening by: ·Reducing fertilizer and pesticide use ·Sequestering greenhouse gases ·Increasing overall garden productivityWith a detailed discussion and comparison tables on a range of organic fertilizer choices, Building Soil is a simple book full of practical, up-to-date information about building healthy soils. Simple methods perfect for the home gardener’s use put healthy, organic soil within everyone’s reach. You don’t need a degree in soil management to understand this book; you only need a yard or garden and the desire to improve it at the most basic level.

Soil buіldіng іѕ a рlаnt drіvеn рrосеѕѕ whеrеbу саrbоn is ѕеԛuеѕtеrеd frоm thе atmosphere аnd lосkеd іntо thе ѕоіl аnd in ѕо dоіng, changes the оvеrаll bіоlоgісаl, chemical and physical рrореrtіеѕ оf the ѕоіl - in a bеnеfісіаl way. Soil organic mаttеr саn bе divided into 3 parts - thе lіvіng, thе dеаd and the vеrу dead. Thе lіvіng раrt - huge dіvеrѕіtу of mісrо-оrgаnіѕmѕ, ѕuсh аѕ bасtеrіа, viruses, fungі, protozoa, аlgае аnd nеmаtоdеѕ; аlѕо, рlаnt rооtѕ, іnѕесtѕ, еаrthwоrmѕ, аnd larger аnіmаlѕ. Thе dеаd раrt - dеаd рlаnt roots, сrор residues, root еxudаtеѕ, dесеаѕеd mісrо and mасrо organisms, аnd animal manures. Thіѕ is the active, оr еаѕіlу dесоmроѕеd, frасtіоn оf оrgаnіс mаttеr thаt іѕ thе main supply оf fооd fоr thе vаrіоuѕ оrgаnіѕmѕ. The vеrу dеаd раrt - humuѕ - very ѕtаblе, соmрlеx аnd wеll-dесоmроѕеd оrgаnіс mаttеr. Humus іѕ аn оrgаnо-mіnеrаl соmрlеx соmрrіѕіng аbоut 60% саrbоn аnd bеtwееn 6 and 8% nіtrоgеn, рhоѕрhоruѕ аnd ѕulрhur. Proportionally, it has a hugе ѕurfасе аrеа and can store bоth саtіоnѕ аnd аnіоnѕ аnd is аn еѕѕеntіаl fасtоr іn ѕоіl fertility. Thеѕе organo-mineral complexes fоrm a stable аnd inseparable раrt of the ѕоіl matrix thаt саn rеmаіn intact for hundrеdѕ оf years.

"'Published by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, with funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture."

Work in partnership with nature to nurture your soil for healthy plants and bumper crops - without back-breaking effort! Have you ever wondered how to transform a weedy plot into a thriving vegetable garden? Well now you can! By following the simple steps set out in No Dig, in just a few short hours you can revolutionize your vegetable patch with plants already in the ground from day one! Charles Dowding is on a mission to teach that there is no need to dig over the soil, but by minimizing intervention you are actively boosting soil productivity. In fact, The less you dig, the more you preserve soil structure and nurture the fungal mycelium vital to the health of all plants. This is the essence of the No Dig system that Charles Dowding has perfected over a lifetime growing vegetables. So put your gardening gloves on and get ready to discover: - Guides and calendars of when to sow, grow, and harvest. - Inspiring information and first-hand guidance from the author - “Delve deeper” features look in-depth at the No Dig system and the facts and research that back it up. - The essential role of compost and how to make your own at home. - The importance of soil management, soil ecology, and soil health. Now one of the hottest topics in environmental science, this "wood-wide web" has informed Charles's practice for decades, and he's proven it isn't just trees that benefit - every gardener can harness the power of the wood-wide web. Featuring newly- commissioned step-by-step photography of all stages of growing vegetables and herbs, and all elements of No Dig growing, shot at Charles’s beautiful market garden in Somerset, you too will be able to grow more veg with less time and effort, and in harmony with nature - so join the No Dig revolution today! A must-have volume for followers of Charles Dowding who fervently believe in his approach to low input, high yield gardening, as well as gardeners who want to garden more lightly on the earth, with environmentally friendly techniques like organic and No Dig.

Build healthy soil and grow better plants Robert Pavlis, a gardener for over four decades, debunks common soil myths, explores the rhizosphere, and provides a personalized soil fertility improvement program in this three-part popular science guidebook. Healthy soil means thriving plants. Yet untangling the soil food web and optimizing your soil health is beyond most gardeners, many of whom lack an in-depth knowledge of the soil ecosystem. Soil Science for Gardeners is an accessible, science-based guide to understanding soil fertility and, in particular, the rhizosphere – the thin layer of liquid and soil surrounding plant roots, so vital to plant health. Coverage includes: Soil biology and chemistry and how plants and soil interact Common soil health problems, including analyzing soil's fertility and plant nutrients The creation of a personalized plan for improving your soil fertility, including setting priorities and goals in a cost-effective, realistic time frame. Creating the optimal conditions for nature to do the heavy lifting of building soil fertility Written for the home gardener, market gardener, and micro-farmer, Soil Science for Gardeners is packed with information to help you grow thriving plants.