Last Updated on January 11, 2022 by Real Men Sow
Soil is an essential component of a successful vegetable garden, yet, it is often forgotten. Because vegetables are greedy, they eat all the nutrients and minerals in the soil. Eventually, the soil gets tired and unusable for planting. Soil improvers & enriching composts can be used to avoid letting your soil become tired and unusable. Use these top facts about sold to help your garden thrive.
Top Facts About Soil You Must Know
- Microorganisms are found in more soil than people.
- To produce just under one inch of topsoil it takes 500 years. This is the most productive layer.
- This greatly reduces flood risk because it stores up to 9200 tonnes per acre. This is about 0.01% total Earth’s water.
- The soil is a living system
- The soil acts as a filter to filter out pollutants from underground water.
- About 10% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions can be found in soil
- It contains all the nutrients necessary for plant growth.
- Soil is composed of 45% minerals and 25% water. There is also 25% air, 25% water, and 5% organic matter.
- Half of the air and half of water are already mentioned. The other half is broken rock, decaying plants and animals.
- Different soil types have different textures depending on the amount of clay, sand and silt. Most soils contain a mixture of all three.
- There are 6 layers to soil: Horizons O, A E, B C, and R. Horizon O refers to the topsoil while R is the bedrock.
- Worms enrich topsoil by feeding on organic material in the soil and converting it into nutrients for plants. It absorbs more soil and is better aerated as they move through it.
- Last fact about soil: Although soil is not at the top of the food chain but is the foundation of life on Earth, it is still the most important element of the food chain.
