Future-proof your soil

Dr Anton Rosenfeld, knowledge officer of green charity Garden Organic, offers practical advice on how to make your soil more resilient, especially in the context of climate change

- Dr Anton Rosenfeld

Most of us know that a healthy soil is essential for growing healthy plants, but more recently, we hear people saying that we should build ‘resilience’ into a soil. But what does that really mean and how can organic practices help?

Climate change will mean that supplying water and nutrients will become increasingly challenging. A resilient soil will ensure that the plants make the best of precious resources even when the going gets tough. It should hold on to water and nutrients like a sponge, so that it retains moisture but still drains.

It should allow roots to grow freely so that plants can best exploit their growing space. It should contain a range of pore sizes so that water, air and nutrients can move around. Here are three practical ways to help build your soil’s resilience.

ADD ORGANIC MATTER

Adding organic matter is a win-win strategy for increasing a soil’s resilience. Organic matter is anything that was once a plant that has started to decay and break down. This might include leafmould, compost or manure. Think of organic matter as being a fine web where water and nutrients can be exchanged freely between soil and roots. This will not only improve retention in light sandy soils, but open up pore spaces to improve the drainage on sticky clay soils.