posted 5 years ago
I really liked the video about smelling the soil in the book preview.
My grandfather taught me that around 60 years ago. I now teach my grandkids the same.
Take up a handful of dirt and give it a sniff. To me I can smell if it is rich and alive! Like in the video, if it smells different it may need help.
My soil on the new property is wonderful !! The biggest problem with it is that there is only a depth of around 2 - 3 inches of it, and that is in the deepest areas. Under that layer of soil it turns to a clayish gravel. (I am just outside of Helena MT and have panned a bit of the dirt, little flecks of gold keep showing up, hope that helps with the plant growth in my soon to be garden).
It does take awhile to bring clayish soil to a better gardening state, but it is do-able with a bit of patience.
I bought 10 yards of topsoil many years ago only to find out it was mostly clay. I got my money back from the guy but he didn't want the soil back. I filled up a couple of raised beds I made and made sure to start with lots of small logs, sticks and just general yard waste in the bottom. Then mixed a lot of the plants left after fall harvest in with the clayish soil. I kept doing this for a several years and the clay broke down really well. When I sold my home this past fall one of the things that the new owner was excited about was the soil.
I am excited to work with the soil here over the next few years. Gardening will need some additional soil brought in as I don't want to strip the land of what it has. But I plan on being careful of what I bring in. Mulching will be very important as this area is considered high desert, so will need to retain lots of water.
I think this book, "A Soil Owner's Manual" would be helpful to me on my new journey in life.
Real funny, Scotty, now beam down my clothes!