Soil Fertility and Growing Plants

Definition: Just like people, plants need certain nutrients to grow well and to fend off disease. Plants need 16 elements for healthy growth. Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are obtained from water and the air. The remaining elements can only be accessed by plants in mineral form and must be in the soil. Soil fertility refers to the amount of these elements in the soil.

Building healthy soil is an ongoing process, because plants can deplete the nutrients in the soil as they grow. Adding organic matter will help replenish or "feed the soil". Organic fertilizers, made from plant, animal or mineral sources, release their nutrients slowly, which means that plants can feed as they need to and there is no sudden change in the makeup of the soil which might harm the microbial activity.

Soil is full of living organisms which help to maintain the balance needed to maintain soil health. Along with fertility, a good garden soil will have a friable texture that allows it to hold and drain water and a good soil pH.. By making healthy soil a focus at the start of making a garden, you will have a head start on creating a sustainable organic garden.