Photo: EKIN KIZILKAYA - Getty Images
Handful of soil
More small and mid-sized farms are transitioning to regenerative agriculture. There’s no official definition of regenerative agriculture, but the concept typically entails improving soil health to boost biodiversity and organic matter. This is accomplished by eliminating or reducing chemical/synthetic inputs and using cover crops to reduce soil erosion and cut off weeds. Healthy soil yields nutrient-dense, healthier plants.
There are ways to use regenerative practices in the home garden to improve soil health and quality. With Wisconsin’s long winters comes twigs, rocks and other debris that collect on the garden bed. Start preparing the bed by clearing away the planting area. Soil left bare over winter tends to become compacted, which can make it more difficult for plants to establish root systems.
Loosen the soil. The Old Farmer’s Almanac recommends loosening soil at least eight inches so root systems can take hold (almanac.com/soil-preparation-how-do-you-prepare-garden-soil-planting). Soil can be loosened with a shovel or spade. For hard or compacted soil, try a hand cultivator, which is a multi-pronged tool designed to break tough soil, or a gardening fork.
Adding compost and organic fertilizers such as manure or worm castings will improve soil microbes. To better determine which nutrients your soil might need, gardening publications such as Gardener’s Path recommends having the soil tested for pH balance and nutrient composition (gardenerspath.com/how-to/composting/soil-test-tips).
Soil Testing and Recommendations
Home soil test kits are available at most garden centers and hardware stores. The UW-Madison Extension Milwaukee County’s Soils Lab offers testing for lawn and garden soil samples. A standard analysis ($15) includes testing for soil pH, organic matter percentage, phosphorus and potassium. The analysis also includes lime and fertilizer recommendations. Add-on tests ($7 per sample) are available for soluble salts and the physical makeup of sand, silt and clay. Lead testing is also available. For more information, visit uwlab.soils.wisc.edu/soil-samples/lawn-garden.
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Once you have an idea of what your soil needs, you can add organic fertilizer. Organic compost, made from decayed carbon-based matter such as dead leaves, vegetables, fruits and grasses, will improve soil structure and boost soil nutrients.
Soil is its own ecosystem, so it needs to be fed to keep beneficial insects and bacteria alive to nourish the soil. Organic compost can be made from food scraps in a home composting system, or purchased from local composting companies or at garden centers.
Much like how antibiotics can kill both good and bad bacteria in the human gut, chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers kill both destructive and beneficial microorganisms in soil. Eliminate synthetic inputs or use them sparingly. Chemical inputs also run off into waterways, affecting drinking water.
Cover crops are a common practice in regenerative agriculture. They have been shown to reduce soil erosion, increase soil carbon and help with water filtration. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service recommends adding cover crops to nurture soil over winter (ars.usda.gov/oc/tips-for-healthy-soil-in-your-backyard-garden). Cover crops for the Midwest climate include rye grass, red clover and winter rye (midwestgardentips.com/fall-prep-chores/2017/12/1/cover-crops-for-small-gardens).
With a few tweaks, home gardeners can improve the health of our soil and the environment, one backyard at a time.
