What’s the ‘dirt’ on soil health?
Things need to be alive to be ‘healthy’ so it can be a bit of a challenge to think of soil as being alive! What is soil? Soil is a…
Healthy soil for a healthy planet
knowledge to grow
Did you know that healthy soil is essential for a healthy planet? It only takes a few extreme rainfall or wind events to remove an inch of topsoil along with all its complex nutrients that are vital for plants.
Soil is far more important than many people realize. Soil is one of the major determinants of human health and it provides our food; the fibers we wear; it cleanses our air; plays a role in our climate; and purifies the water we drink. The more we begin to understand the importance of soil, the better we’re able to nurture it and the healthier we will become. SoilHealth.ca helps growers to achieve better results. It starts with understanding soil.
What is soil?
Soil is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Soil is a medium for plant growth and a means of water storage, supply, and purification. It is a modifier of the Earth’s atmosphere and a habitat for organisms. Soil is influenced by climate, location and position on the planet, living organisms, and the soil’s minerals interacting over time. It continually undergoes development by way of numerous biological, chemical, and physical processes. Given its complexity and strong internal connectedness, soil can be regarded as a living ecosystem.
A living, breathing ecosystem
Billions of organisms inhabit the upper layers of the soil, where they break down dead organic matter; predators hunt and consume prey; and some spend only part of their lifecycle in the soil, releasing the nutrients necessary for plant growth. Soil microorganisms include bacteria, actinomycetes, algae, and fungi. Larger soil inhabitants are called macro-organisms and include earthworms and arthropods such as insects, mites, and millipedes. When the ecosystem is healthy and functioning, each type of organism plays a role in the soil ecosystem, suppressing disease and supporting the growth of healthy plants.
Why test your soil?
A soil test will determine the current fertility and health of your soil. By measuring the biological, chemical, and physical properties of the soil, numerous factors can be considered together that permit a more holistic assessment of nutrient deficiencies and the status of the soil. Simply put, a soil test provides you with information necessary for maintaining optimal soil fertility. A soil test is important for several reasons: to optimize crop production, to protect the environment from contamination by runoff and leaching of excess fertilizers, to aid in the diagnosis of plant culture problems, to improve the nutritional balance of the growing media, and to save money and conserve energy by applying only the amount of amendments and supplements like fertilizers that are actually needed.
Soil Health Test Kit
Our Soil Health Test Kits are all you need to find out if you’re gardening with healthy soil and what you can do to improve the quality of your soil. Our soil sample collection process is simple to use. Your kit arrives with one or more soil sample collection containers (sample containers vary based on the Soil Health Test Kit ordered). All you need is a clean bucket or pail and a small shovel or garden trowel. Whether you’re a new gardener or a seasoned professional, SoilHealth.ca helps you dig deeper into the health of your soil.
Why we created SoilHealth.ca
At SoilHealth.ca our mission is to promote a Soil-First approach to growing plants that helps Canadians grow healthy plants in holistically healthy soil. Our CEO and Founder, John Kenneth Filice, is passionate about the importance of soil.
We believe that soil is one of our planet’s most important natural resources. Soil serves a critical function in protecting environmental health, and soil health is a key determinant of growing healthier plants. Our lives are inextricably entangled with soil – it provides our food; the fibers we wear; it cleanses our air while moderating our climate, and it purifies the water we need to survive. When you consider the important role that soil plays in our day-to-day lives it becomes clearer that soil is one of the major determinants of human health too.
That’s why we created SoilHealth.ca – to specialize in providing soil health testing services for Canadians.
We pride ourselves on providing exact, quick, reliable, and understandable data about the health of soil.
Our CEO and Founder, John Kenneth Filice, is passionate about the importance of soil. John has a Master’s degree from the School of Geography and Earth Sciences at McMaster University. It’s no surprise that he would end up returning to his roots, working to help the environment by helping people to improve their soil health.
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Do you have a specific question about soil testing? Get in touch with SoilHealth.ca. We are happy to answer any of your questions.