Don’t treat soil like dirt
Mike Dorion thinks people need to give soil a little more respect.
“Soil doesn’t like to be treated like dirt,” says Dorion, founder of Living Soil Solutions, a natural fertilizer company that blends traditional and modern techniques to bring life back into the soil.
“People need to feed their soil. They need to have a basic idea of what’s going on in their soil because it’s very much alive,” Dorion says, adding that just a handful of soil holds billions of organisms such as microbes, bacteria, fungi, nematodes and other critters.
“These guys are starting that cycle of nutrient transfer, making sure that plants are getting the nutrients they need. If we can increase that life in the soil, then our plants are going to be a lot healthier,” says Dorion, who will speak at the Calgary Horticultural Society’s Garden Show on Saturday at 2 p. m.
Gardeners can enhance their soil with natural amendments such as highquality compost, including vermicompost ( worm castings) and compost teas. Using cover crops ( green manure) is also helpful.
“The soil should never be bare. Soil is very sensitive,” Dorion says, explaining that when soil is covered, either by living plants or green manure, it protects the soil and helps it retain water.