Soul of Soil; A Soil-Building Guide for Master Gardeners and Farmers : A Soil-Building Guide for Master Gardeners and Farmers

by Smillie, Joseph; Gershuny, Grace

• ISBN13: 9781890132316
• ISBN10: 1890132314
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-06-01
• Publisher: Chelsea Green Pub Co

Summary

Soil is the basis not only for all gardening, but for all terrestrial life. No aspect of agriculture is more fundamental and important, yet we have been losing vast quantities of our finite soil resources to erosion, pollution, and development. Now back in print, this eminently sensible and wonderfully well-focused book provides essential information about one of the most significant challenges for those attempting to grow delicious organic vegetables: the creation and maintenance of healthy soil.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xv
Introduction	p. 1
Understanding the Soil Ecosystem	p. 7
Organic Matter and Humus	p. 11
Physical Factors: Soil Structure and Tilth	p. 16
Chemical Factors: Nutrient Cycles and Balances	p. 21
Biological Factors: The Living Soil Community	p. 36
Observing and Evaluating Your Soil	p. 52
Recordkeeping	p. 53
Monitoring Tilth: Reading the Field	p. 55
Looking Beneath the Surface	p. 57
Evaluating Biological Health: Looking at Life Forms	p. 67
Soil Management Practices	p. 80
Managing Physical Factors: Drainage, Irrigation, Tillage, and Cultivation	p. 80
Organic Matter and Humus Management	p. 85
Animal Manures	p. 89
Composting	p. 91
Green Manures and Other Soil-Improving Crops	p. 103
Rotations	p. 110
Using Off-Farm Nutrient Sources	p. 119
The Marketplace and Organic Certification	p. 139
Appendices
Glossary	p. 143
Organizations and Periodicals	p. 149
Bibliography	p. 155
General References	p. 155
Technical References	p. 159
Index	p. 163
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