Master Gardener: 'It's Alive' - the soil, that is

Carolyn Johnson
·5 min read
Carolyn Johnson, Master Gardener
Carolyn Johnson, Master Gardener

“It’s Alive” probably makes us readers think of the classic scene in the 1931 Frankenstein movie when Victor Frankenstein’s manic genius bubbles over and he screams out those immortal words “It’s alive, it’s ALIVE!”  That famous phrase came from the original 1818 text of “Frankenstein” and was repeated in Mel Brook’s “Young Frankenstein” movie which is rated in the Top-10 funniest movies of all time.

However, Frankenstein’s monster is not the only thing that is alive.  In this article, which will not be as entertaining, “It’s ALIVE” is referring to “SOIL”.  So how is soil alive? What exactly is soil? How do soils form? Are there different types of soil? What do soils do? How do you know if the soil is healthy? Let’s look at an article from “Soil Science of America” to answer these questions.

So how is soil alive? 

Soil is a mixture of four things: minerals, dead and living organisms, air, and water. These ingredients react with one another making soil one of our most important renewable natural resources. Soil is constantly forming (renewable) but at extremely slow rates, so therefore, it is a limited natural resource. One inch of topsoil can take several hundred years or more to develop depending on the region’s climate.

What exactly is soil? 

Soil forms the surface of the land and is vital to life on earth.

So how do soils form? 

Soil forms in layers: humus or organic matter such as decomposing leaves, topsoil which is mostly minerals, eluviated leached clay, minerals, and organic matter, subsoil, parent material, and bedrock. Because these layers can differ, not all soil is the same. When these layers are put together it forms a soil profile. As soil ages its components constantly change. Soils differ from one part of the world to another and even from different parts of a backyard. Five major factors determine soil formation: climate, organisms, landscape, parent material, and time.

Are there different types of soil? 

Soil is categorized into three groups by the amount of the following particles: sand, silt, and clay. These particles bind together to form peds or small clumps. Peds are shaped either into balls, blocks, columns, or plates. Between the peds are spaces in which water, air, and organisms move. This determines whether soil is sandy, loamy, or clay. If you look at soil, the color varies. This is due to mineral content and its water content.

What do soils do? 

  • Serve as media for growth of all kinds of plants.

  • Modify the atmosphere by emitting and absorbing gases and dust.

  • Provide habitat for animals that live in the soil.

  • Absorb, hold, release, alter, and purify most of the water in terrestrial systems.

  • Process recycled nutrients, including carbon, so that living things can use them over and over again.

  • Serve as engineering media for construction of foundations, roadbeds, dams, and buildings, and preserve or destroy artifacts of human endeavors.

  • Act as living filter to clean water before it moves into water.

How do you know if the soil is healthy? 

Healthy soils are full of life.  Each tablespoon of healthy soil contains billions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes.  Listed are five easy, DIY soil tests, to determine soil health obtained from a 2022 Izaak Walton League of America publication.

  • Test 1: Take a scoop of soil and hold it in your hands.  What does it feel like, look like and smell like?  Healthy soil is dark and binds together with air pockets, worm holes, and plant material. It has a pleasant earthy smell.

  • Test 2: Dig up a shovel-full of soil and place on a tarp.  Sort through and count the earthworms and worm-like critters. A dozen or more means the soil is in pretty good shape.

  • Test 3: Find a long wood or metal stake and push it into the soil. If the stake pushes easily into a foot or more of the soil that is a good sign that the soil has plenty of air pockets and has a good structure. If the stake bends or breaks or is hard to drive into the soil it is an indication that the soil needs more organic matter.

  • Test 4: Water Infiltration Test. In a wet patch of soil take a knife or scissors to remove vegetation from the surface. Then take a can with the bottom removed and push it into the soil about 3-4 inches. Then take plastic wrap to line the inside of the can.  Pour water into the top of the can to about 1 inch in depth. Count the time it takes for the water to disappear. Repeat adding water and timing. In healthy soil the water should soak into the soil in 10 minutes or less.

  • Test 5: Soil your Undies. Wash a pair of 100% cotton underwear and bury them in the soil leaving the waistband showing. Wait six weeks and dig it up. The microbes in the soil which eat up dead plant material should be working on the cotton underwear leaving only the waistband intact.

Testing soil is important.  There are more exact methods for soil testing. An Ohio Soil Health Card Fact Sheet is available online from The Ohio State University College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. There are also soil testing sites and businesses available that will obtain the soil samples, test the samples, and give recommendations for increasing the soil health.

Carolyn Johnson is a Sandusky and Ottawa County Master Gardener with the Ohio State University Extension Offices.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Master Gardener: How to know if soil is healthy