The Soil Story
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Worm Poo Song
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This song is dedicated to our fellow worm farmers. You are a rockstar composters that the world has been waiting for....
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Toil in the Soil
There is always so much to do outside when you have some soil to play with. Whether you love to shovel into a wheelbarrow or build a garden bed, perhaps you've made a faerie garden or grown something you can eat.
One thing a good garden needs, is healthy soil.
A great gardener will spend just as much time tending to their soil, as they do their plants. Soil is alive. It needs be nourished and cared for.
For this class we'll learn about soil and how you can build your garden from the soil up.
Interesting Facts about Soil
One thing a good garden needs, is healthy soil.
A great gardener will spend just as much time tending to their soil, as they do their plants. Soil is alive. It needs be nourished and cared for.
For this class we'll learn about soil and how you can build your garden from the soil up.
Interesting Facts about Soil
- In one teaspoon of good soil there will be around several hundred million bacteria, that's more bacteria on a teaspoon than there are humans on this planet.
- The average acre of good farm land will be home to over 1 million earthworms.
- Soil is mostly made of the elements oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, and carbon.
- Over-farming soil removes so much of its nutrients and organic matter that plants will no longer be able to grow in it.
Make a worm farm
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A long time ago Faerie Cara and Faerie Sarah made a video on how to make a worm farm from a polystyrene box that you can find from your green grocer.
Apart from speaking way too fast, the information on here is still useful! |
Tips on how to keep your worms happy
- Worms don't have lungs, they breath through their skin.
- A worm eats around half of its body weight each day.
- Worms hate too much heat and sunlight. This is why they wriggle away when you pick them up from the garden.
- Castings is what we call worm poo, they help make your soil thrive.
- The brown liquid that drips from your worm farm is called 'worm wee,' or 'worm wizz.' This is a wonderful natural fertiliser.
- Anything that was once growing and alive can be put into your worm farm.
- Worms don't like anything too acidic. So don't put in lemon and orange peels.
- To prevent bad smells and nasty pests don't put any meat or dairy products into your worm farm.
- A worm is both a boy and a girl
- Worms don't have legs, arms or eyes.
- They love a moist environment so keep watering your worm farm daily. However, they can't swim so don't flood your worm farm. Make sure there is always a drain for excess water.
- Don't overfeed worms. Worms don't have teeth, they rely on food breaking down before they start to eat it. To help them, cut your food waste up small and feed your worms around 500grams of food a week for around 2000 worms.
The story of soil
Soil has a story rich in the lands history.
Whether it is made from decomposing plants to rocks being crushed by the running river or lava that has blown out of a volcano. Looking at soil we get to piece together a little bit of history. Below are common soil types and a chart that shows a combination of the soils.
Whether it is made from decomposing plants to rocks being crushed by the running river or lava that has blown out of a volcano. Looking at soil we get to piece together a little bit of history. Below are common soil types and a chart that shows a combination of the soils.
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ClayClay is made up of tiny particles of rock. They are so small that water and air doesn't move easily through it, making it difficult for plants to grow. Wet clay is useful for building because it hardens as it dries. When baked in an oven it becomes hard and may last a very long time. Archaeologists have found pots and bowls made of clay that are thousands of years old
SandSand is made of minerals, rock, gemstones and skeletons! When a sea animal dies, the ocean slowly breaks down the skeleton or shell into tiny particles. Sand particles are smaller than gravel and larger than clay.
Nature makes sand by breaking off chips from boulders, cliffs, and mountainsides. As the weather and water wear down the chips, they create sand. SiltSilt is made of tiny particles of rock. They are larger than clay but smaller than a sand. Silt is produced by the weathering of rock, usually by water.
LoamLoam is almost equal amounts of sand and silt and a little less clay. Because of the balance of ingredients, loam is ideal as garden soil.
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InvestigateTime to investigate your soil.
Go into your garden and grab a hand full of soil. Squeeze it between your hands, wet it, look at it, bring out a magnifying glass and investigate the different textures. Do you think your soil is mainly sand, clay or silt? Perhaps you have loamy soil? |
What soil is best for my garden?
Knowing what type of soil you have is the best place to start building healthy soil. Use the chart above to help you determine what kind of soil you have.
Gardeners often aim to have loamy soil. Unfortunately, adding sand to clay won't solve your problem. Organic material is what plants need. It is also organic matter that attracts the beneficial organisms that will help keep the soil healthy and alive.
Gardeners often aim to have loamy soil. Unfortunately, adding sand to clay won't solve your problem. Organic material is what plants need. It is also organic matter that attracts the beneficial organisms that will help keep the soil healthy and alive.
Organic Matter
What is organic matter
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What is organic matter?Organic matter is compost, manure and cover crops. What organic matter can do for your garden soil is magic.
The organic matter in soil comes from plants and animals. In a forest, leaves and old branches fall to the forest floor. The tree is not littering, it's making compost! When it decays, it becomes organic matter that feeds the soil. |
What does organic matter do
WHAT DOES ORGANIC MATTER DO
Organic matter feeds microorganisms and insects that make a balanced ecosystem of the soil. It creates a good environment for soil microbes and organisms that will make your plants thrive.
Organic matter also improves the structure of soils, from sand to clay. It helps sandy soil retain moisture, it improves water drainage in clay soil.
Organic matter also improves the structure of soils, from sand to clay. It helps sandy soil retain moisture, it improves water drainage in clay soil.
Where do I get organic matter from
Where do I get organic matter from?
Now that you know that organic matter is essential to your garden soil, where do you get organic matter from?
It's time to start a compost!
Don't throw away your valuable green waste. Let it grow it into healthy soil. Well in fact, let it decompose!
It's time to start a compost!
Don't throw away your valuable green waste. Let it grow it into healthy soil. Well in fact, let it decompose!
Anything growing and alive can be turned into healthy soil. That means all of your food scraps, garden clippings, tree leaves, used tissues, old cotton socks, newspaper, hair and toe nail clippings. Ewww gross. Nah it's not gross, it's compost!
A compost bin is a place for you to throw away all of your 'green waste.' This is what we call things that were once growing and alive. At the farm we have lots of compost piles in various stages of decomposition. But, at your home or school if you have less space you might want to try a compost bin, a compost barrel or a neighbourhood compost collective.
A neighbourhood compost collective
Compost needs time to break down. Once a pile or bin is full you need to stop adding green waste, turn it regularly, add water and watch it do its magic. That means you may need multiple piles to be in different stages of decomposing. When you live on a smaller suburban block this becomes hard as there might not be enough space to build multiple piles.
To help solve this problem, communities are rallying together to create a compost collective where each household has a compost pile. One home has the active pile that everyone drops their green waste into. Once this is full, you start adding to another households pile. If you have at least three homes working together you will all have a pile to work on, and enough time to let your pile of waste decompose, plus somewhere to always drop off your green waste. Once the compost has finished decomposing, you have wonderful home made compost to feed your garden.
A compost bin is a place for you to throw away all of your 'green waste.' This is what we call things that were once growing and alive. At the farm we have lots of compost piles in various stages of decomposition. But, at your home or school if you have less space you might want to try a compost bin, a compost barrel or a neighbourhood compost collective.
A neighbourhood compost collective
Compost needs time to break down. Once a pile or bin is full you need to stop adding green waste, turn it regularly, add water and watch it do its magic. That means you may need multiple piles to be in different stages of decomposing. When you live on a smaller suburban block this becomes hard as there might not be enough space to build multiple piles.
To help solve this problem, communities are rallying together to create a compost collective where each household has a compost pile. One home has the active pile that everyone drops their green waste into. Once this is full, you start adding to another households pile. If you have at least three homes working together you will all have a pile to work on, and enough time to let your pile of waste decompose, plus somewhere to always drop off your green waste. Once the compost has finished decomposing, you have wonderful home made compost to feed your garden.
How to start a compost collective
1) Talk to your neighbours to find some keen compost allies.
2) build some compost beds together. These may be store bought bins, repurposed bath tubs or recycled pallet boxes.
2) Create a rotation roster for your compost collective.
3) Make sure you have a good shovel or pitchfork available to turn the compost weekly.
4) Enjoy feeding your garden wonderful compost made locally with green waste!
1) Talk to your neighbours to find some keen compost allies.
2) build some compost beds together. These may be store bought bins, repurposed bath tubs or recycled pallet boxes.
2) Create a rotation roster for your compost collective.
3) Make sure you have a good shovel or pitchfork available to turn the compost weekly.
4) Enjoy feeding your garden wonderful compost made locally with green waste!
Mulch
Mulch is an essential layer to your garden, especially over hot summers. If you are going to be standing in the sun all day you could be fried by the scorching sun. Imagine how plant roots and microorganism's feel in the top soil. Mulch is a way of putting sun protection on your precious soil.
Mulch protects your soil from eroding, naturally prevents weeds, feeds plants as it slowly breaks down and helps to keep moisture in the soil. The moisture and cooler temperature under the mulch will help the plants and promote good microorganism health.
Mulch protects your soil from eroding, naturally prevents weeds, feeds plants as it slowly breaks down and helps to keep moisture in the soil. The moisture and cooler temperature under the mulch will help the plants and promote good microorganism health.
Dig down deep with a shovel and you will see that the soil changes as you go further down. The layers of soil are called horizons. Minerals, nutrients and contaminates can move down the horizons, this is called leaching.
The horizons
Organic Layer- Mostly organic matter such as decomposing leaves and sticks. The horizon is thin in some soils, thick in others, and not present at all in others.
Topsoil- Made up of mostly minerals from parent material with some organic matter. This is good soil for plants and other organisms to live.
Eluviated- Leached of clay, minerals, and organic matter, leaving a concentration of sand and silt particles of quartz or other resistant materials – missing in some soils but often found in older soils and forest soils.
Subsoil- Rich in minerals that have moved down from the the organic layer and top soil horizons and accumulated here.
Parent material- The deposit at Earth’s surface from which the soil developed.
Bedrock- A mass of rock such as granite, basalt, quartzite, limestone or sandstone that forms the parent material for some soils – if the bedrock is close enough to the surface to weather. This is not soil.
Like soil, the Earth has layers too. Cut into an onion to see the layers, now imagine the layers that make up our planet. Take a look at the diagram below to see all that is happening within the Earth.
The horizons
Organic Layer- Mostly organic matter such as decomposing leaves and sticks. The horizon is thin in some soils, thick in others, and not present at all in others.
Topsoil- Made up of mostly minerals from parent material with some organic matter. This is good soil for plants and other organisms to live.
Eluviated- Leached of clay, minerals, and organic matter, leaving a concentration of sand and silt particles of quartz or other resistant materials – missing in some soils but often found in older soils and forest soils.
Subsoil- Rich in minerals that have moved down from the the organic layer and top soil horizons and accumulated here.
Parent material- The deposit at Earth’s surface from which the soil developed.
Bedrock- A mass of rock such as granite, basalt, quartzite, limestone or sandstone that forms the parent material for some soils – if the bedrock is close enough to the surface to weather. This is not soil.
Like soil, the Earth has layers too. Cut into an onion to see the layers, now imagine the layers that make up our planet. Take a look at the diagram below to see all that is happening within the Earth.
The Magic of the underground
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Tuatha De Dannan
In ancient Ireland, folklore speaks of a time where there once lived the Tuatha de Danann. They were a magical race that lived with nature, the loved fly over the land and sea, run wild with beasts and fly high with birds and hold great parties and battles where everyone rose again. When the Celts arrived in Ireland there were great wars between the ancient faerie folk and the humans. After many battles it was decided that the Celtic people would live above the ground and within the land, the Tuatha De Dannan would go. There are certain times of year when they would ride out and take any humans with them that were found out of doors. There were also certain faerie knolls that were known doorways into the faerie homes. People would leave offerings at their doors on the nights of the great faerie raid. |
Gardening Chickens
You may have noticed on our videos that we have a lot of chickens on our property. I have always been a huge fan of backyard chooks. There are so many reasons to make friends with chickens...most of them have to do with good soil.
Reasons to share our yard with chickens
- They have the cutest, fluffiest bums in town
- Chickens will eat slugs and bugs
- The scratching feet will help stir oxygen into your topsoil
- They love to eat your kitchen scraps
- In return they will give you chicken poo, a wonderful natural fertiliser
- They look like little dinosaurs wandering around your yard
- If you eat eggs you can get fresh happy eggs
- They will keep your weeds down
- Chicken cuddles are wonderful
Downside to having chickens
- They may eat your favourite plants too
- If you have free range chooks like us they may poop all over your outdoor lounge setting and sometimes in your home too if they manage to sneak in to find some crumbs
- Roosters crow all day and sometimes through the night. Not good for suburban living or grumpy faeries that want a good nights sleep.
- Be careful to keep your chickens safe as prowling foxes are often about, even in the suburbs.
Reasons to share our yard with chickens
- They have the cutest, fluffiest bums in town
- Chickens will eat slugs and bugs
- The scratching feet will help stir oxygen into your topsoil
- They love to eat your kitchen scraps
- In return they will give you chicken poo, a wonderful natural fertiliser
- They look like little dinosaurs wandering around your yard
- If you eat eggs you can get fresh happy eggs
- They will keep your weeds down
- Chicken cuddles are wonderful
Downside to having chickens
- They may eat your favourite plants too
- If you have free range chooks like us they may poop all over your outdoor lounge setting and sometimes in your home too if they manage to sneak in to find some crumbs
- Roosters crow all day and sometimes through the night. Not good for suburban living or grumpy faeries that want a good nights sleep.
- Be careful to keep your chickens safe as prowling foxes are often about, even in the suburbs.
Make a garden bed
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Do you have a garden to call your very own?
This months craft, we are looking to make a garden bed. 1) Find a plot of land you can turn into a garden bed. It might be in your yard, in a pot of at your grandparents home. 2) Start by looking at your soil. What do you need to add to help make your plants thrive. 3) Sprout some seeds for your garden. Are you growing food to eat, flowers for the bees or a faerie garden. Maybe you are making all of these. 4) Plan and then plant your garden. Make sure your plants have enough room, shade, sunshine and of course lots of love. 5) Tend to your garden daily. Watch as your plants reach for the sun. See the changes. Do you find snails in your garden, do the caterpillars find a way in. Are you seeing bees buzzing around. 6) Find the magic of gardening. This comes from you... |
Messy Play
Did you know that mud is good for you?
Scientist agree that playing in mud makes us healthier and happier... so what are you waiting for... go get Earthy!!!
Scientist agree that playing in mud makes us healthier and happier... so what are you waiting for... go get Earthy!!!
InsectsNext month we look at Insects
Let's open our eyes and hearts to the micro world of insects. |
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