In light of the abundance in rainfall, we're going to talk about how to prevent plant disease, erosion and how to improve your soils physical structure.
Utlilizing compost in your farm or garden has many benefits which we will continue to discuss in even greater detail in coming issues. But this week we want to focus on how it helps when you are in a particularly wet season. In the Oklahoma soil, typically it is made up of mostly clay. On our farm specifically, we have a lot of sandy loam which is wonderful for drainage, but is left lacking rich nutrients and beneficial organisms. By incorporating compost comprised of organic matter, the humus in the compost binds together the particles in light crumbling soils, breaks down the sticky, heavy clay soils, and improves water retention in sandy soils. Compost also prevents leaching by holding in nutrients at the root zone. By the simple act of adding organic matter, you can transform your soil foundation to be more viable, increase the soils capacity to retain plant nutrients and resist erosion in the process. In terms of disease prevention, compost stabilizes the pH and provides a desirable habitat for beneficial soil organisms. This increases organisms like nitrogen~fixing bacteria and earthworm populations which inoculate the soil, improving resistance to both plant diseases and insect pests.
Just like human beings, when we take proper care of our bodies we become naturally resistant to illnesses that surround us everyday. When you have healthy soil, you have healthy plants. And healthy plants=healthy food.💚
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