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Soil Health

What is Healthy Soil?

Healthy Soil is represented in many aspects, physical structure, chemical components and biological material. Soil structure should be loose enough to have spaces to allow water, air, and plant roots to enter the soil while also draining easily and holding enough moisture to maintain healthy plant growth. Healthy stable soil is gently held together by plant roots, microbes and organic material. Sufficient levels of essential nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium are required for plant growth but lack of or excess nutrients can be a problem. Keep your soil healthy with a layer of organic matter which can improve the soils physical, chemical and biological health. Organic material (such as compost, mulch, leaves) also helps soils capacity to hold water, gradual release of nutrients, increases biodiversity and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers. 

Soil Fun Facts

 

  • Soil makes up a remarkable thin layer of Earth's crust (Only about 25 miles deep, which is 1% of Earth's total mass). This thin layer is vital to human survival and contains all known life in the universe. 
     
  • Simple tests can be performed to indicate soil health. Look for earthworms or mycorrhizal fungi to indicate the overall health of the soil ecosystem.
     
  • Soil may seem dirty on the surface, but it actually purifies polluted water as it infiltrates into the ground. The biological, chemical, and physical filtering processes in a healthy soil protect the quality of drinking water in the aquifers beneath Long Island, filtering out heavy metals and chemicals.  
Picture of man holding soil

How to Build Healthy Soil

Add Organic Material: Soil is a highly complex and dynamic living system that needs a constant supply of organic material for energy. Soil without organic material will have poor structure and little to no nutrient transformation, as it will not provide enough food to support worms, fungi, or microbial life. 

Below are some examples of ways you can incorporate more organic material for free around your home garden

 

  • Leaves that are left on the ground all season provide winter habitat for butterflies, moths, fireflies, bees, amphibians, and birds while also enriching soil and reducing waste. Focus on leaving leaves where soil organisms live, under trees, and in garden beds. (picture of luna moth and overwintering cocoon)

  • Woodchips insulate the soil surface, keeping it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. A thick layer of chips on the surface can block sunlight, preventing the regrowth of weeds. In the soil, woodchips help with moisture retention, acting as a sponge for water, and are a source of organic material.

  • Grass clippings left on the lawn are an excellent way to naturally fertilize, as they are rich in essential nutrients. Clippings act as mulch, helping lawns retain moisture and require less water. Reducing the yard waste sent to landfills not only saves time and effort but helps our environment.

piping plover

Follow these Principles to maintain Soil Health.   source: nrcs.gov

How to make Healthy Soils 

 

Interested in testing your soil at home or in the garden? NCSWCD will be hosting a soil testing event where Nassau County residents can recieve free testing on 1 - 3 saples. Next event date: August 18th, 2024

Major nutrients in the soil

Nitrogen (N)

Nitrogen is a key element in plant growth, it is found in all plant cells. Nitrogen makes up about 78% of earths atmosphere (N2). However most living things cannot use (N2) and rely on broken down nitrogen compounds such as nitrates (NO3) and nitrites (NO2). Some plants such as legumes can fix atmospheric nitrogen (N2) by converting it into ammonium compounds and then into (NO2)/(NO3) using bacteria that live in their roots, this process is called nitrogen fixation. Lastly, the bacteria break down nitrates releasing nitrogen gas back into the atmosphere through a process called denitrification. 

Phosphorus (P)

Phosphorus helps plants with capturing, storing and converting the sun's energy into a form plants can use to preform photosynthesis. Phosphorus is a key component in plant cell division and is used in the development of the growing tip of the plant. Phosphorus can stimulate development of healthy roots, seeds and fruit. Phosphorus also contributes to disease resistance and increases the efficency of a plants water use. 

Potassium (K)

Potassium aids in plant cell growth by activating enzymes called "hydrolases" which break down a cell wall's structural components, loosening the cell wall and allowing for expansion and growth. Potassium also helps move water, sugars and starches throughout the plant, which plays an important role in a plants overall yield and quality. 

The Nutrient Cycle

Plants absorb nutrients

Plants take up nutrients from the soil and atmosphere. For example, plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into glucose and other organic compounds through photosynthesis. These compounds are stored in the soil when plants and animals die and leave behind residue.

 

Microorganisms break down matter

Microorganisms in the soil, such as fungi and bacteria, break down organic matter and waste products from dead organisms. This process makes nutrients available again in mineral form so plants can use them. For example, nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, which nitrifying bacteria then convert into nitrate that plants can use.

 

Organisms consume nutrients

Animals and humans eat plants that have absorbed nutrients from the soil. When organisms die or excrete waste, nutrients are released back into the environment.

Click to enlarge

Life in the soil

 

Soil is not an inert, dead substance. A handful of healthy soil can contain more living organisms than human beings have ever lived on Earth. According to researchers at Ohio State University, a single gram of healthy garden soil can contain a billion bacteria, several yards of fungal hyphae, protozoa, and nematodes. 

 

Earthworms feed directly on organic matter in the soil. Microbes inside the worms' gut help them digest the organic matter and excrete worm casings filled with bacteria and additional organic matter. These casings help aggregate the soil and bury shredded plant residue, helping distribute nutrients throughout the soil. During eating, worms create channels that provide space for roots to grow and increase water infiltration into the soil.

Fun Fact: The Northeast US has no native earthworms because glacial activity during the Pleistocene epoch covered the region with enough ice to eliminate all existing native earthworm populations. The earthworms currently found in Nassau County are introduced species from Europe and Asia through human activity. 

Fungi

 

The majority of the mushrooms we see on the surface are only a small part of a much larger structure underground called mycorrhizal fungi. Mushrooms are the fruiting body of the organism, used to spread spores into the surrounding area for reproduction.

Fungi play such an essential role in the ecosystem that without them, our planet would not be so green.  90% of plant species depend on mycorrhizal fungi networks for nutrients, which are critical for producing chlorophyll — the green pigment in leaves. Mycorrhizal fungi help stabilize soil structure both physically and chemically by secreting a biological glue that binds soil into aggregates. These aggregates improve soil fertility and water filtration by protecting soil organic carbon from microbial decomposition, sequestering carbon in the soil. 

 

Most importantly, fungi are our planet's main decomposers of organic material, specifically low-quality sources that are high in carbon such as wood. Without fungi, dead plant material would accumulate, preventing new plants from growing by locking nutrients in place. Fungi help mobilize phosphorus in the soil by colonizing plant roots and transporting the nutrient to feed the plant.

 

Soil Group Worksheets for Agricultural Assessments

 

The Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District provides Soil Group Worksheets for Agricultural Assessments at the price of $50 per parcel. To apply for a soil group worksheet, please contact dbetts@nassauswcd.org with your name, address, and a copy of your tax bill.


For more information about qualifying for Agricultural Tax credits, please call the NYS Dept. of Taxation and Finance hotline at 518-457-5149.