Is your soil dead?

Ok so your soil might not look this bad!
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But it’s important to understand that healthy soil is not just a bunch of inert dirt with maybe a few minerals and manures mixed in.
 
Healthy soil is ALIVE!
 
Healthy soil is a living ecosystem filled with billions of visible and invisible (at least to the naked eye) biota.
 
The visible ones are things like worms, spiders, beetles, millipedes, slaters etc. You may also see threads of white which are the network of mycelium that funghi use to communicate with plants and transport nutrients and protective messages around for them.    
 
The invisible ones are what we call micro-organisms such as bacteria, archaea, viruses, funghi, protists, nematodes, micro-arthropods and micro-animals.
 
These all work together to break down organic matter (manure, leaves etc.) and recycle minerals and make them available to plants. Together and with the help of plants they create the beautiful spongy rich chocolate like soil that gardeners dream of!
 
So, is your soil dead?

If it doesn't have a diverse population of macro and micro organisms it will struggle to support the plants you want to grow to make your garden beautiful!
 
Check out my blog on Buying soil (Pros and Cons: what you need to know!)