Southland Organics Healthy Soil
Channel: Southland Organics
Date: 2019-07-26

Carbon is the key to healthy soil.

Carbon is what makes the soil alive with energy.  It is the fuel that the soil needs to grow plants.

We often focus on fertilizer but how does the fertilizer get into the plants?  The answer is in the soil.  When we say "soil," we are referring to the complex ecosystem in which plants, grass, shrubs, and life originate. Without a proper functioning ecosystem, life and growth cannot happen.

Carbon can be thought of as the fuel that propels the soil engine. The microbes in the soil are the workers. They have the important job of breaking down soil nutrients into plant-ready food. Every soil nutrient and mineral requires microbes to process them into a usable form. Often this microbial cycle is overlooked.

Let's take Nitrogen, for example, the microbes process the input (urea, ammonium nitrate, etc.) and process it into ammonium, Nitrite, and Nitrate. Even chicken litter, which is 80% uric acid, is converted into a chemical called Allantoin. Then ammonium, Nitrite, and nitrate. It happens in nature everywhere. It is not until the nitrate stage that the product is usable to the plant.

Phosphorus undergoes mineralization, immobilization, desorption, adsorption, dissolution, and precipitation. That is a lot. But the point is that transformations must occur. Otherwise, your soil is dead and so is your grass.

In order to do the work of these conversions and transformations, the microbes need fuel. Carbon is that fuel that the microbes feed on.

Optimal soil conditions require a proper Carbon to Nitrogen ratio of 25:1. If you are applying too much nitrogen, an imbalance occurs in the soil ecosystem where you start burning up the fuel and slowing down the microbes.

Sure your plants might be able to grab some of the excess Nitrogen or fertilizers, but since they have been overworked in some areas and the chemistry is not balanced, you wind up with major deficiencies in micronutrients. This leads to nutritional deficiencies and tall spindly grass with thin cell walls that are susceptible to disease. Suddenly, you have "dead soil."

By supplying the soil with quality carbon and microbes, you increase the power of the soil engine. The engine can unlock and implement the important nutrients that your landscape needs.

Our products are a vital portion of a well-crafted landscape program. Increase your results and realize less stress with more profits. We are people who partner with people to bring dead soil back to life, and we would love to connect with you.

Learn more about soil microorganisms on our blog: https://www.southlandorganics.com/blogs/news/17989348-microorganisms-that-enrich-your-soil-part-i