Introduction to Soil Properties: Three Key Soil Characteristics Every Grower Should Know
Healthy soil is the foundation of any successful growing operation. No matter your acreage, understanding and optimizing the biological, physical and chemical characteristics of soil can make a significant difference in your crop yields and overall plant health.
This post serves as an introduction to a series where we explore the three traits of healthy soil: physical, chemical, and biological. The MyLand team also shares methods to improve these soil characteristics to maintain healthy soil.
1. Physical Characteristics of Healthy Soil
As you can imagine, the physical soil characteristics, or traits, determine its structure – the texture, depth, and compaction (or lack thereof), which contributes to how well the soil supports plant growth. A few critical physical characteristics include soil tilth, soil depth, and soil drainage, and porosity.
Soil Tilth
Soil tilth refers to the physical condition of the soil and how well it can support plant growth. When soil tilth is good, it’s easy to work with and has a crumbly texture, which allows roots to grow freely. It also means soil can retain moisture without becoming waterlogged, allowing roots to breathe.
Soil Depth
Soil depth refers to how much space there is for roots to grow. If your soil is shallow (possibly due to compaction or erosion), plant roots may struggle to find enough water and nutrients, affecting physical soil traits. Deep, well-structured soil provides ample space for roots, and helps plants handle weather extremes like drought or heavy rain.
Soil Drainage and Porosity
Soil drainage allows for excess water to flow through soil while retaining the moisture necessary for plants to thrive. Porosity refers to the small spaces (i.e. pores) within the soil that hold air and water. Porous soil supports microbes, which help break down organic matter and cycle nutrients – all essential elements for plant growth.
How do you improve the physical characteristics of soil? Microalgae produce compounds that loosen soil, increase porosity, and enhance water retention. This helps roots grow deeper, improves water infiltration, reduces water runoff, and improves your soil’s characteristics.
2. Chemical Characteristics of Healthy Soil
The chemical traits of soil help support healthy nutrient content and soil’s ability to support plant growth. Chemical soil characteristics include the presence of a sufficient nutrient supply and an environment free of chemicals and toxins.
Sufficient Nutrient Supply
Plants need a balanced supply of nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to grow well. Healthy soil provides these nutrients in the right amounts. However, too much of any single nutrient can lead to problems like nutrient runoff or toxic buildup, which are issues that can harm the environment and impact your soil characteristics.
Chemical and Toxin-Free Environment
Healthy soil is free from harmful chemicals and toxins. This is possible thanks to stable organic matter and a diverse microbial community that can neutralize potential toxins, keeping the soil safe for plant growth.
How do you improve the chemical characteristics of soil? Live, native microalgae contribute to increased microbial activity, which naturally leads to nutrient-rich soil. This can help balance soil pH and make nutrients more accessible to plants, making both your physical and chemical soil traits improve.
3. Biological Characteristics of Healthy Soil
Biological soil characteristics cover the multitude of living organisms in the soil and their role in maintaining a healthy soil environment. Specifically, these traits include microbial diversity and organic matter.
Microbial Diversity
Healthy soil is full of life — particularly microbes like bacteria and fungi. These organisms help decompose organic matter, cycle nutrients, and protect plants by increasing their resilience. A diverse microbial population is crucial for a balanced and productive soil ecosystem.
Soil Organic Matter
Soil Organic Matter (SOM) improves the structure of soil, increases its ability to hold water, and provides food for soil microbes. Over time, organic matter decomposes into humus (i.e. decomposed soil material), which further enriches the soil and supports plant growth.
How do you improve biological soil characteristics? Microalgae serve as a food source for other soil microbes at the very bottom of the soil food chain. This leads to a more vibrant and diverse microbial population in the soil. As algae goes through its lifecycle – thrive, reproduce, and eventually decompose – it releases nutrients and organic compounds that further enrich the soil.
Understanding the biological, physical, and chemical characteristics of soil is essential for maintaining healthy soil. By focusing on nurturing these key elements in your fields and choosing MyLand’s microalgae solution, you can improve your soil health and create an environment where your plants can thrive.