Build a Living Soil
Organic Fertilizers Build the Soil
What is a Living Soil?
A living soil is an environment rich in humus and filled with organic matter that hosts millions, if not billions, of small organisms. Most of these organisms are microscopic, such as bacteria, amoebae, and protozoa, while some are larger, like earthworms and small insects. Living soils have a diverse population of both large and small organisms, existing in a competitive environment where they constantly consume one another. This “eat or be eaten” dynamic facilitates nutrient exchange, which contributes to good soil structure and provides a steady supply of nutrients available for plant uptake. Earthworms are at the top of this food chain, and if a soil exhibits earthworm activity, it is a strong indication that the soil is alive and healthy.
Organics Build the Soil
The key to a living soil is using the best organic fertilizers and weed controls, proper lawn mowing and proper lawn watering. It is literally that simple.
Building a Living Soil is the Key to a Healthy Lawn!
Compost Makes the Best Soil
When most people think of the best type of soil, they often consider organic compost. Composts are the healthiest soils because they are teeming with billions of diverse microorganisms, including bacteria, protozoa, amoebae, fungi, and earthworms. These microbes decompose organic matter, such as grass clippings and tree leaves, into nutrient-rich soil. The organisms living in the soil play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy soil ecosystem and supporting healthy plants. As organic materials decompose, they produce humus, making nutrients available to grasses and trees. Healthy soil is typically loamy and dark in color, creating an environment that is loose, airy, and better at absorbing water.
Organo-Lawn’s Philosophy, “Feed the Soil and the Soil Will Feed the Grass”
Soil is the Key to a Healthy Lawn
Soil is the most important aspect of organic lawn care. Organo-Lawn’s approach to natural lawn care focuses on creating an environment that stimulates beneficial microbial activity in the soil. We achieve this through a combination of proper lawn watering—using the principles of the 1-2-3-2-1 lawn watering technique —proper lawn mowing (mow the lawn tall), and applying only the best organic fertilizers.
High Quality Organic Compost
Why Chemical Fertilizers Slowly Kill The Soil
Chemical Fertilizers are High in Salt
Fast Release Nitrogen
Many chemical lawn care companies follow a philosophy of feeding the grass by frequently applying fast-release nitrogen-based fertilizers. Initially, a lawn treated with these chemical fertilizers may appear healthy and green. However, over time, the high-salt chemical fertilizers and pesticides can damage the soil, leading the lawn to become entirely dependent on these chemicals for its health. As a result, the grass may turn yellow and develop necrotic spots without regular applications of chemicals and synthetic fertilizers.
Problems Start to Arise
After using a chemical lawn care program for as little as one year, lawns can often develop fungal problems, such as necrotic ring spot. When these symptoms appear, a chemical lawn care company typically recommends applying a fungicide to control the fungus. Ironically, the fungal issues arise because the chemicals being used are harming the beneficial microbes in the soil.
How to Fix a Chemically Fertilized Lawn
To restore a chemically dependent lawn, the first step is to stop all chemical applications and focus on rebuilding the soil using organic fertilizer, core aeration, and proper lawn watering. Depending on the extent of the damage caused by the chemicals, this process usually takes 1 to 2 years to revitalize the microbial activity in the soil.
Organic Lawn Care Expert
How to Stimulate Beneficial Microbial Activity in a Lawn
- Mow the Grass Tall – This promotes the roots to dig deeper and the deeper they dig the deeper the microbes can survive.
- Water Deeply and Infrequently – Follow the 1-2-3-2-1- lawn watering technique.
- Organic Fertilizers and Soil Conditioners – Avoid chemical fertilizers because they kill microbes and soils.
- Core Aeration – Promotes air flow in the soil.
Why are Deep Digging Grass Roots so Important to Creating a Living Soil?
Roots Provide Sugars for the Microbes!
Roots Also Give
It is a common misconception that plant roots only absorb water and nutrients; however, they also release sugars. These sugars attract the initial forms of bacteria to the soil.
Attract Beneficial Bacteria
Shortly after, a second type of bacteria arrives and feeds on the first. Soon thereafter, protozoa, amoeba, and beneficial fungi appear, feeding on the bacteria and each other. Following them, nematodes and other insects come to feed on the protozoa, fungi, and amoeba. Finally, earthworms arrive to consume everything present in the soil. If a lawn has a significant presence of earthworms, it indicates that the soil is alive and rich with microbes.
A Living Soil Starts With Deep Digging Roots
To create a living soil, the first step is to foster an environment that promotes deep grass roots. The deeper the grass roots grow, the more microbial populations will develop in the soil. Achieving deep-root growth requires watering the lawn deeply and infrequently using the 1-2-3-2-1 lawn watering technique, as well as mowing the grass to a height of 3 inches or taller.
Deep Digging Grass Roots Are the Key to a Healthy Soil
Learn More About the Importance of Soil
What Causes a Soil to Die?
Overwatering and Chemical Fertilizers
Soil lacking microbial activity is considered dead, and such dead soils usually do not occur without human intervention. Two common practices that often unknowingly harm the soil in lawns are overwatering and the use of chemical fertilizers.
Too Much Water
Overwatering can suffocate microbial activity because excess water displaces air in the soil, depriving microbes of the oxygen they need to survive.
Chemical Fertilizers
Additionally, chemical fertilizers, which are essentially concentrated forms of salt, are highly toxic to microbes. When a lawn’s soil is dead and devoid of microbial life, it typically takes about 1 to 3 months to initiate the growth of beneficial microbe populations, and another 3 months to 2 years to foster a thriving community of lawn microbes.
5 Common Lawn Care Mistakes that Will Kill Soils
- Overwatering a lawn: (too much water replaces the air in the soil and without air the microbes can’t breathe)
- Under Watering a lawn: (moisture is important in sustaining beneficial microbial activity, moist but not wet!)
- Compacted Soils (hard clay like soils lack air and without air the microbes can’t breathe)
- Using Pesticides and Fungicides (most chemicals kill beneficial microbes and bacteria)
- Using Chemical Fertilizers (chemical fertilizers don’t have any organic matter and organic matter is what microbes use as food)
Why are Chemical Fertilizers Bad for Soils?
Chemical lawn fertilizers are toxic to soils because most synthetic fertilizers are a concentrated form of salt. Salt is extremely toxic to microbial populations. It is strongly recommended to apply plant-based organic fertilizers to lawns instead of chemical fertilizers.
How Long Does It Take to Reclaim a Dead Soil?
Three Months to a Year
If a lawn’s soil is dead (no microbial activity), it will typically take 1-3 months to get the beneficial microbe populations started and another three months to two years to get the soil in a lawn to be teaming with microbes.
Necrotic Ring Spot
A Sign of a Dead Soil
Building a Living Soil - FAQ's
What is a Dead Soil?
A dead soil is a term used to describe soil that lacks sufficient biological activity, organic matter, and nutrients to support healthy plant growth. It is essentially a lifeless medium with few to no beneficial microorganisms, fungi, and insects that are critical to soil health.
Characteristics of a Dead Soil
- Low Organic Matter: Minimal or no decomposed plant or animal material.
- Poor Structure: Compacted or powdery, leading to poor water retention and aeration.
- Nutrient Deficiency: Lacks essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
- Lack of Microbial Life: Few or no beneficial microbes, fungi, or earthworms.
- pH Imbalance: Often too acidic or alkaline.
- Chemical Residues: May contain harmful levels of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or salts.
- Erosion-Prone: Loose and dusty, leading to high erosion rates due to wind or water.
What is a Dead Soil?
A dead soil is a term used to describe soil that lacks sufficient biological activity, organic matter, and nutrients to support healthy plant growth. It is essentially a lifeless medium with few to no beneficial microorganisms, fungi, and insects that are critical to soil health.
Dead Soil
Characteristics of a Dead Soil
- Low Organic Matter: Minimal or no decomposed plant or animal material.
- Poor Structure: Compacted or powdery, leading to poor water retention and aeration.
- Nutrient Deficiency: Lacks essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
- Lack of Microbial Life: Few or no beneficial microbes, fungi, or earthworms.
- pH Imbalance: Often too acidic or alkaline.
- Chemical Residues: May contain harmful levels of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or salts.
- Erosion-Prone: Loose and dusty, leading to high erosion rates due to wind or water.
Causes of a Dead Soil
- Excessive Use of Chemicals: Over-reliance on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides can kill beneficial microbes.
- Over-Tillage: Frequent and deep tilling destroys soil structure and microbial habitats.
- Soil Compaction: Heavy machinery or foot traffic compresses soil, reducing aeration and water infiltration.
- Loss of Organic Matter: Lack of composting or cover cropping depletes organic matter.
- Erosion: Loss of topsoil through wind or water reduces fertility.
- Salt Accumulation: Poor irrigation practices can lead to salt buildup, making soil inhospitable to life.
Excessive Thatch is a
Sign of a Dead Soil
Signs of a Dead Soil
- Plants struggle to grow or appear stunted.
- Water pools on the surface or drains away too quickly.
- Soil has a hard, compact texture or a dusty, sandy appearance.
- Few or no earthworms or other visible soil life.
- Difficulty breaking the soil apart with tools or hands.
Dead soil is a challenge to rebuild, but with commitment, it can be transformed into a vibrant, fertile environment for plants and other organisms.
Compost is Teeming with Microbes
Additional FAQs - Living Soil
Microorganisms break down organic matter, release nutrients, improve soil structure, and suppress plant diseases. They play a critical role in creating a fertile, sustainable soil ecosystem.
- Add Organic Matter: Compost, organic matter, and plant residues like grass clippings provide food for microbes.
- Reduce Chemical Use: Limit synthetic fertilizers and pesticides because they can harm microbial populations.
- Maintain Moisture: Microbes thrive in moist but not waterlogged soil. Following the 1-2-3-2-1 lawn watering technique is a great way to stimulate microbial activity in lawns.
- Avoid Disturbance: Reduce tillage to preserve microbial habitats.
Compost provides a rich source of organic matter and introduces beneficial microbes into the soil. It improves microbial diversity and helps kickstart microbial populations.
Microbial activity is optimal in soils with a pH between 6 and 7. Extreme acidity or alkalinity can reduce microbial diversity and activity. Colorado soil pH is usually between 7 and 9 depending on many factors.
Mycorrhizal fungi form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, helping plants absorb nutrients (like phosphorus) and water. Adding inoculants or promoting conditions for their growth boosts soil health.
Yes, mulching grass clippings slowly adds organic material as it decomposes.
Yes, synthetic fertilizers can harm microbial activity by reducing organic matter and altering soil pH. Synthetic fertilizers are usually a salt based fertilizer which kill beneficial microbes.
Microbes need moisture to function, but excess water can create anaerobic conditions that favor harmful microbes like Necrotic Ring Spot fungus.
With consistent efforts like adding high quality organic fertilizer, eliminating the use of chemicals, and maintaining proper moisture (follow the 1-2-3-2-1 lawn watering technique), and mowing the lawn at 3 inches or taller, noticeable improvements can occur within a few months to a year. Applying compost can significantly increase the recover time of a lawn.