At FarmMatters every farm matters

Whether you are a home gardener, lifestyle block enthusiast, a commercial grower, small or large farmer – every farm matters. We can help by starting with your soil.

The 3 Realms of Soil. Leading agronomists agree there are 3 realms to soil, the chemical, physical and biological.

The chemical realm is the chemical makeup of soil, which includes air, water, minerals and organic matter. The physical realm is the texture, structure, compaction, colour, consistency etc, and the biological realm is the eco-system of the soil or the soil food web which can be described as a complex living system in the soil and how it interacts with the environment, plants, and animals.

Addressing the chemical realm? It all starts with a comprehensive soil test. Within the chemical makeup of soil is the mineral content, also known as elements or nutrients. Science says all plants require 16 elements which are certain key nutrients for plants to grow well, develop, reproduce and remain healthy. They are oxygen, hydrogen and carbon, all supplied by air and water, the primary or macro nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium commonly known as N.P.K. The secondary nutrients calcium, magnesium and sulphur. The micro-nutrients, boron, chlorine, copper, manganese, molybdenum and zinc.

The Golden Ratio - No relevance to geometry, however there is a specific ratio of each element that needs to be in balanced proportions. Why? because of the inter-relationship between elements, they can tie each other up creating lock-ups and deficiencies such as the relationship between phosphorus and Zinc. Some elements need other elements in order to work such as Boron and Calcium. Calcium and Magnesium has its own relationship which affects soil texture or the physical realm of the soil. And the list goes on. This is why nutrient ratios are vital for soil, plant growth and health.

Fix one to improve them all. By testing the soil, correcting nutrient deficiencies and balancing the chemical realm we automatically improve the physical structure of the soil and create a home for the biological eco-system to thrive. This creates a healthy environment where plants can grow to their genetic potential. Disease and pests reduce as they do not prosper on healthy soil and vegetation. Using the correct fertilisers to balance the mineral content reduces the environmental impact because we only recommend what the soil can hold and use.

The next step is to maintain or improve the organic matter content. Plants obtain nutrients from two natural sources, organic matter and minerals. In addition to providing nutrients organic matter also provides a habitat for the organisms living in the soil. Organic matter also binds soil particles into aggregates and improves the water holding capacity of soil.

The soil lives. Soil is a living, dynamic ecosystem. Healthy soil is teeming with life and they all perform vital functions such as converting dead and decaying matter as well as converting minerals to plant nutrients. Having good organic matter levels improves the chemical, physical and biological realms of soils.

Did you know that some soil microbes feed plants nutrients? They take minerals from the soil and convert them into a form that plants can use. They swap those minerals for sugars that the plants produce from their roots.

We have a lot of combined knowledge, but we always encourage people who are interested to search for their own knowledge. There are many books, videos, university extension papers available in library's and the internet. We recommend Acres USA as a good place to start.