Basic Soil Science For Successful Vegetable Gardening

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.

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.

You may be surprised to discover that there are more living things in one teaspoon of soil than there are people on the planet. In just one spoonful of healthy soil, there is a huge variety of nutrients, minerals, micro-organisms - an immense natural resource. Many life forms make soil their home, and in turn most other animals depend upon them for food. There is no aspect of agriculture that is more important and fundamental than soil, yet we are losing vast quantities of it every day to development of land, destruction of forests, erosion and pollution. Without soil, we would not survive - plants couldn't grow, trees couldn't grow tall and earthworms and insects would have no home. Soil also helps biodiversity - it provides habitats for organisms such as fungi, microbes and insects, as well as for the roots of plants. Not only is looking after our soil important for all living things and in the fight against climate change, knowing how best to meet your soil's needs is a key task for every keen gardener, ensuring you get the most out of your garden. Discovering the science behind soil and what's really happening in the earth can help you change the way you think about soil and also help you to create the garden you have always been dreaming of, making growing your veggies much more enjoyable than before. Drawing upon years of experience in the garden, Nydia will teach you all you need to know about soil to create abundancy in your garden In 'A spoonful of soil helps the world go round', you'll learn: The different types of soil; What nutrients soil needs; How to know what type of soil you have; How to test your soil's pH; How to test the composition of your soil; How to avoid the most common mistakes made; The importance of water; The importance of cover crops; Composting and mulching. So if you want to be the proud owner of lots of home-grown fruit & vegetables and do your bit to help the planet at the same time, then scroll up and click the "Add to Cart" button now! And much more! You may think that learning about soil is too sciency and technical for you but the information in this book is broken down into easy-to-understand language so that you can learn the science without all the jargon, in a fun and interesting way. And you'll learn how to be an expert with soil in no time!

This textbook is aimed at the majority of students, who need toquickly acquire a concise overview of soil science. Many currentsoil science textbooks still cater for a traditional student marketwhere students embark on three years study in a narrow discipline.The growth in modular degree schemes has meant that soil science isnow often taught as self-standing unit as part of broad baseddegree program. Students pursuing this type of course areincreasingly reluctant to purchase expensive textbooks that are toodetailed and often assume a scientific background. For those optingto specialise in soil science there are a variety of good textbooksto choose from. This short informative guide, will be particularlyuseful for students who do not possess a traditional scientificbackground, such as those studying geography, environment science,ecology and agriculture. Only textbook to cater for introductory courses in soilscience. Provides an affordable concise overview of soil science. Learning exercises and chapter summaries enhanceusability. Annotated suggestions for further reading. Based on proven and successful modular course structure. Emphasis on readability and interactive learning. No scientific background assumed.

Companion planting has a long history of use by gardeners, but the explanation of why it works has been filled with folklore and conjecture. Plant Partners delivers a research-based rationale for this ever-popular growing technique, offering dozens of ways you can use scientifically tested plant partnerships to benefit your whole garden. Through an enhanced understanding of how plants interact with and influence each other, this guide suggests specific plant combinations that improve soil health and weed control, decrease pest damage, and increase biodiversity, resulting in real and measurable impacts in the garden. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

“It is bold, it is courageous, and it challenges many of our preconceptions about food, about soils, about farming, and about health.” —Michael Ableman, farmer, author of Farm the City To grow produce of the highest nutritional quality, the essential minerals lacking in our soil from intensive agriculture must be replaced. The Intelligent Gardener is the practical, step-by-step guide for any serious gardener who wants to: · Demystify this process · Debunk much of the false and misleading information perpetuated by both the conventional and organic agricultural movements · Re-mineralize our soil. Accompanied with customizable web-based spreadsheets, this toolkit calls for far more attention to detail than the simple addition of composted manure or NPK fertilizers. It conclusively establishes the link between healthy soil, healthy food, and healthy people. Vegetables, fruits, and grains are a major source of vital nutrients, but centuries of intensive agriculture have depleted our soils to historic lows. As a result, the broccoli you consume today may have less than half the vitamins and minerals that the equivalent serving would have contained a hundred years ago. This is a matter of serious concern, since poor nutrition has been linked to myriad health problems including cancer, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. For optimum health we must increase the nutrient density of our foods to the levels enjoyed by previous generations. The Intelligent Gardener goes beyond organic—it offers the essential tools for those who care about the quality of the produce they grow. “It’s hard to imagine this book not having a significant and lasting impact on the way organic farmers and gardeners grow their crops.” —Mark McDonald, West Coast Seeds