CARING FOR YOUR SOIL
I often imagine the soil on my vegetable patch sighing – with contentment when I cover it with a layer of dark crumbly compost, or with despair at yet another deluge of winter rain. You might conclude that I’ve spent too long alone out there, talking to my turnips, but this idea is not as fanciful as it first appears.
Traditional soil tests just measure the type of soil you have (sand, silt, clay) and the nutrients it contains (phosphorus, potassium and so on). The latest ones, however, also look at factors such as its enzyme activity and respiration rate – so soil does breathe! These measurements recognise that all living creatures in the soil contribute to producing flourishing crops – from the familiar earthworms to microscopic bacteria and fungi.
The tests are too complicated and expensive for most garden plots, but you don’t need them. Use your eyes, ears and
