Understanding Soil Life: Texture and Good Fungi

The Life Within Soil

Soil is a bustling habitat teeming with life, yet much of its microbiome remains hidden from our eyes. Gardeners often seek to understand their soil better—how to test it, enhance its structure, and boost its fertility. The distinction between "soil" and "dirt" is more than just a matter of semantics; soil is a vibrant ecosystem, whereas dirt is lifeless. Soil serves as the Earth’s biological skin, supporting 95% of the food we consume and anchoring ecosystems such as forests, prairies, and agricultural fields.

Soil is more than just dirt; it is a rich tapestry composed of sand, silt, and clay. The term "soil texture" refers to the proportions of these three components, which significantly influence key factors such as drainage, water retention, and nutrient availability. For instance, "sandy loam" has a higher sand content, allowing for excellent drainage, while "clay loam" features more clay, which retains moisture and nutrients. "Silty loam," with its greater silt content, offers a smooth feel and balances drainage and retention. The ideal "nice loam" contains a harmonious mix of sand, silt, and clay, making it perfect for gardening.

Soil Texture:  To better understand your soil’s texture, you can conduct a simple hands-on test.  You'll need a shovel, water, and, of course, your hands. Here’s how:

1. Dig: Excavate 6-12 inches into the soil and moisten it if it's dry.

2. Sample: Collect a cup of soil from at least 6 inches below the surface.
3. Test: Perform Tests A and B in multiple locations and at varying depths.
Test A
Rub some moist soil between your fingers. You’ll notice that sand feels gritty like sugar, silt has a smooth, silky texture reminiscent of flour, and clay feels sticky like dough.
Test B
Squeeze the soil into a ball, then pinch it between your thumb and index finger to form a "ribbon." Sandy soils struggle to maintain a ribbon shape, while silty and clay-rich soils excel at it—heavy clay can even hold a ribbon several inches long.

For a more detailed analysis, consider getting an agricultural soil report, which can reveal your soil’s pH, organic matter content, mineral levels, nitrate concentration, and texture. This information is invaluable for plant selection and overall garden health.

One other remarkable aspect of soil is the  presence of mycorrhizae, beneficial fungi that form symbiotic relationships with plants. These fungi enhance nutrient absorption and improve soil health. To learn more about mycorrhizae, check out Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott’s detailed descriptions and images.

Growing a Revolution
Soil plays a crucial role in the water cycle, filtering and gradually releasing water to streams, rivers, and lakes year-round. It breaks down organic matter—such as fallen leaves, animal waste, and deceased plants—into essential nutrients, recycling them for plant growth.

David Montgomery, a prominent advocate for soil health, emphasizes the importance of revitalizing our soils. With one-third of arable land lying dormant, nurturing our soil is vital for healing the planet and feeding a growing population.

Whether you're a scientist, a farmer, or a backyard gardener, the resources linked below will deepen your understanding of the world thriving just beneath your feet.

Further Resources
Explore engaging videos and interactive games from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center http://forces.si.edu/soils/

Discover soil health information sponsored by the U.S. government https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/natural-resource-concerns/soils/soil-health  

Soil, the living world beneath our feet

Everyone is curious about the life in the soil and the food web, 

yet we can’t see the "microbiome" in the soil. Gardeners love soil and have so many questions about it – how to test it, how to compost, how to enhance soil structure and fertility. For those in the "growing" world, we wonder if the difference between dirt and soil is just semantics. Turns out, it's not just semantics! Soil is a living environment...whereas dirt is basically dead soil, according to scientists. Soil is the earth’s delicately structured biological skin(video). Every terrestrial ecosystem and the food you eat sprouts from soil. (95% of food comes from soil).

• Soil anchors and feeds forests, prairies, and farmed fields.
• The amazing difference between dirt and soil is that soil contains mycorrhizae, a beneficial fungi, which lives beneath our feet. Click here for Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott photos and description of this beneficial fungi.
• Soil is habitat for many burrowing animals and harbors an amazing biodiversity of microbes, insects, arthropods, and worms, many yet to be scientifically described. 

Growing a Revolution

• Soil is essential to the water cycle as it filters and gradually releases water year-round to streams, rivers, and lakes.  

• Soil decomposes fallen leaves, feces, dead animals and plants into soil organic matter while recycling the nutrients that plants need to grow. Increasing soil organic matter is one way to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide and address climate change.
• David Montgomery talks about bringing our soil back to life, and with one third of the arable land laying dormant, soil is a lifeline to healing the planet and feeding the hungry.
• Whether one is a serious scientist, or food activist, a farmer or a backyard gardener, the following references and link resources will open a new world, one going on right under our feet. 

To understand how Canyon County soils influence plant growth, check out this class  https://bit.ly/2cSoils    offered on Zoom.

Further links: 
Great videos, interactive games from Smithsonian Environmental Research Center http://forces.si.edu/soils/ 

Soil Health Awareness: Sponsored by the US Government, this site provides information for educators. USDA Natural Resources link