Stop Treating Your Soil Like Dirt - Warner Companies, Inc.

Here’s a startling thought: Our soils are endangered.

I know, I know. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world at the moment and now I’m telling you that you have to worry about the earth under our feet too. But I wouldn’t be mentioning it if there wasn’t a solution. So let’s talk about how we got here – and how we can make it better.

First off, what happened that caused us to treat our soil like dirt?

Prior to the 20th century, soil was healthy and organically dense. It was the source of good, nutritious botanical delights, and with proper crop rotation, it naturally replenished itself.

But erosion and deforestation have washed away a third of the world’s topsoil, taking much of its benefits away in the process. And crops today are developed for increased yield, not nutritional value, a classic case of quantity over quality.

If current trends continue, soil as we know it will be gone by 2050, according to the United Nations Food & Agricultural Association.

But there are things we can do to help regenerate our soils. Here’s the Top 5 soil friendly habits you can practice at home:

Whether it’s broccoli or begonias, it’s important to plant your garden organically.
Reduce waste by composting and create a probiotic for your soil. Added benefit: it will reduce your household trash significantly.
Test your soil and replenish it with organic fertilizers.
Till with worms and organic composts.
Grow green manures, cover and pulse crops such as buckwheat, beans, lentils and clover. They do double duty- enriching garden nutrients while controlling weeds.

These steps will give you healthy, happy and organically rich soil for your garden.

I hope you are managing to enjoy Spring, even as concerns about coronavirus abound. Speaking of which, please check out our homepage for information on what we are doing in response to COVID-19 to keep you (and us!) safe and some new options for shopping with us.

Happy Gardening!
Misti