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Soil Building

Soil building encompasses many different things, as the soil is its own living and changing ecosystem. While it's possible to grow plants without soil, the vast majority of gardeners use it -- soil is everywhere in all of its myriad forms.

Here, we explain all things soil-based as well as the things that are used to improve that soil. Our writing team provides insight into not just soil types and textures, but also composting, cover cropping for soil improvement, mulching for the myriad of benefits it offers, and so many more things.

We'll explore different organic fertilizers and how they work, techniques like the Back To Eden or no-till methods of gardening, and even delve into the many forms of mulch that can be used to reduce erosion and maintain soil moisture.

Organic gardeners know full well the value of having good soil, and the interplay between organic matter and mineral inputs is key to guaranteeing that you have a living, beneficial, and healthy soil food web. To many, the soil is an entirely new frontier waiting to be explored... and so we'll explore it along with you, step by step.

With a little know-how, you too can improve your existing soil in the yard, learn which amendments are necessary or unnecessary in your situation, and optimize for the best outcome for your specific plant types.

Top view close up of female hands in white gloves adding wood chip mulch from a large white bag to a flower bed with flowering carnations, showing when to mulch a garden.

Mulch

When to Mulch the Garden and When Not To

Mulch serves important purposes in the garden, but it's essential to know when to use it properly. Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss to discuss the right times to use mulch, as well as those that are less than ideal.

A shot of red ripe fruits and their leaves placed on a ground with amendment, showcasing mulch strawberry patch

Mulch

9 Best Mulch Types for Your Strawberry Patch

Mulch is quintessential for healthy strawberry patches. There are plenty of types on the market, and each one has its pros and cons for gardeners. In this article, plant expert Matt Dursum covers the best mulch types for your strawberry patch and why they work.

The hands of a gardener in yellow-orange gloves hold a handful of fresh irregularly shaped wood chips with rough, jagged edges in shades of light brown and golden tan to an evergreen thuja showing the benefits of its use in the garden.

Mulch

13 Ways Wood Chips Benefit Your Garden

Are you looking for the ultimate mulch to use this year? There are many reasons why you should try using wood chips. In this article, horticulture expert Matt Dursum covers the ways wood chips can benefit your garden.

Close-up of young tomato seedlings in a seed starter tray, possessing thin, hairy gray-pink stems and pairs of narrow, elongated cotyledons.

Fertilizer

Should You Fertilize Tomato Seedlings?

Your tomato seeds sprouted and they’re growing strong, but do they need any extra nutrients before they go in the ground? Former organic farmer Logan Hailey has all the information you need to properly fertilize tomato seedlings.

Homemade dark brown comfrey fertilizer in a white bucket, placed among blooming comfrey bushes with fuzzy green leaves featuring prominent veins, rising from thick, sturdy stems topped with clusters of delicate, bell-shaped purple flowers.

Fertilizer

How to Make Homemade Comfrey Fertilizer in 8 Steps

You can create a self-sustaining garden system by enriching the soil with organic materials and homemade fertilizers that fuel crops without requiring external inputs. Join soil expert and former organic farmer Logan Hailey to learn how to make homemade comfrey fertilizer.

A mound of decomposing plant material sits on grass with a shovel beside it.

Soil Building

How to Speed up Your Compost: 17 Strategies to Try

Composting is a great method for recycling organic matter. Instead of throwing food scraps, garden clippings, and fall leaves away, you can turn them into compost! If your pile is slow-acting, longtime composter Jerad Bryant shares these 17 strategies for speeding up the process.

A hand using a rake to spread smooth, multicolored river rocks across a garden bed.

Soil Improvement

10 Benefits and Drawbacks of Gravel Mulch

Gravel gardens are on the rise due to their water-wise qualities and clean aesthetic. Among the advantages of using gravel as mulch are disadvantages that impact plant health, depending on the situation. Weigh the pros and cons of gravel mulch with garden designer Katherine Rowe to determine the best fit for your garden.