Soil that is alive is the foundation of a healthy and low-maintenance garden. Bacteria, Protozoa,  Amoebae, and Nematodes all play a role in nutrient cycling. Fungal hyphae in symbiosis with plant roots can make your garden more self-sufficient. The symbiotic fungal networks, as an extension of plant roots, make plants more drought-resistant and fungi, as chemical wizards, will supply the plants with all required nutrients.

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In the big picture, fungi store carbon longer and in higher concentrations in their hyphae than plants and therefore provide a key solution in storing huge amounts of carbon in the soil. Even in your garden, you can create conditions to promote the underground network of fungi through less but more thoughtful maintenance practices, and you will help to counteract climate change. As a side effect, the soil chemistry will change and bring your garden into a more advanced successional state that will not allow weeds to dominate.

 

What you do:

• Book a biological soil examination of your garden or compost.

• Follow the instructions on how to collect the sample.

• Send a small soil sample by mail, drop it off, or get it picked up.

• Let us know what is growing in the area of the soil sample or how you made the compost.

• Let us know what you would like to grow in this soil or compost.

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We examine the sample:

• For beneficial soil organisms, like nematodes and other organisms, that provide nutrient cycling.

• We examine the sample for organisms that indicate compacted and anaerobic soil conditions, like ciliates and rotifers. 

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You receive the following:

• You will get digital pictures of the different functional groups of the organisms in your soil with a job description. 

• You will receive suggestions on how to improve your soil or compost.

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