Living soil

Soil is more than just particles of rock and organic matter. It also contains water, air and millions of organisms, from algae to bacteria, fungi, sow bugs, nematodes, earthworms, springtails, spiders, snails and mites. All of these beneficial organisms are essential to the soil’s fertility and plant growth: they break organic matter down into nutrients, give the soil a better structure, protect it against insect pests, etc.

How to promote biological activity in the soil

In order to survive in the soil, these organisms need oxygen, moisture, warmth, food and near-neutral pH. You can ensure these conditions by regularly adding organic matter to your soil (mainly in the form of compost or composted manure), using fertilizer that is not directly assimilated by plants, avoiding pesticides that destroy all forms of life, adjusting the pH as necessary and adopting good practices (watering properly, not overworking the soil, mulching, etc.).