Microscopic soil food web

Remember the first time that you saw an amoeba moving on a microscope slide in Science class and how wondrous creation seemed to you at that moment?! It made me want to learn more…

Microscopic bacterium and protozoa abound by the millions in our soil, atmosphere and in our very bodies. We breathe them in, we take them up through our food and water, and we purge them out daily throughout multiple bio systems that keep our bodies healthy and strong.

Hopefully, you are finding ways to minimize your impact on these tiny miracles of life. Composting your kitchen veggie and fruit scraps is a great way to help maintain a high level of organic matter in your garden soil. Feeding plants organic compost/humus will attract an array of many types of beneficial organisms to your flower and vegetable garden species.

Organics break down providing some key nutrients that plants need to stay healthy and strong. Composting helps store nitrogen in the soil through soil sequencing and thus reduces greenhouse gases. Proper composting methods can help retain beneficial microorganisms near plant root zones. In turn, plants are able to release organic chemicals that attract beneficial fungi and bacterium to themselves underground, to entangle and devour unwanted predator species and diseases, as well as provide the much needed nutrients that are needed at the root zone.   

Plants can stay healthy and disease free only if you provide them with what they truly need; organic humus. It is a natural process that requires our participation.

So when you finish eating that organic apple, and you are looking for a way to chuck it, remember that our soil always needs organic matter. Habitually our culture has taught us to toss the apple core into the nearest garbage can but our microscopic soil food web benefits only if you return it to the soil rather than sending it to the landfill (which produces 200 times more greenhouse gases from methane release). Take your organic waste home in a reusable bag to put in your very own worm or outdoor compost bin. Start a compost collection (plastic covered bin) in your refrigerator at work!

We all make a difference! and don’t forget baby steps matter. Composting is as easy as 1, 2 3! Try it and you will see…