Colton Garden: An Exploration of Soils

Emily Roll

On November 15th, the permaculture class went to Colton Community Garden to experience a workshop on soils ​with Fritz. We worked on building up garden beds for a youth greenhouse in a geodome design, and laid down pathways in one of the larger greenhouses with red wigglers and compost to create a nutrient-rich soil at the base of the garden beds. We had access to many different types of organic materials to build up healthy soil and begin the process of nutrient cycling to prepare for growing next season. The knowledge gained from this trip was unmatched, and we were given many resources on soil and food growing that are shown below. 

The importance of soil in food production is almost indescribable; soil is the home of nutrients and microorganisms that give our food the nutrients we humans need. Soil acts as an ecosystem, home to worms and microorganisms, nitrogen and carbon, that all come from the layering of organic material and water. As said previously, we were given access to various materials to build up our lasagna gardens as Fritz describes. We had compost from community drop off and the river trip waste that was high in nitrogen. We also had leaves to provide carbon into the system, large logs to add an element of hügelkultur, bigger pieces of dry straw, coffee grounds, and existing soil. All of these things layered together with water will decompose and become the home to microorganisms and mycelium that will work to decompose all the food scraps and larger materials into a mixture of nutrient exchanging. 

Another aspect of soil building that could be added, that we did not have access to on this visit, is charcoal or biochar. Adding charcoal to garden beds has been a somewhat tricky and recent subject to the world of permaculture and gardening. There is debate on the best time to add charcoal into beds, whether it is activated or inactivated, and the depth to which it should be buried in the soil. The benefits of activated charcoal are becoming clear; it creates areas of nutrient and water retention and microbe habitat, lightens dense soil to allow better root growth, and aerates to increase drainage. Charcoal can also be used in soil that has been damaged by chemicals or pesticides as it brings down acidity and neutralizes the chemicals. The best way to add charcoal to garden beds is simply to just start trying it; every soil system is a bit different and trial and error may be the best way to determine the real impacts of charcoal in especially at-home gardens. 

Soil is an inexhaustible resource in gardens, and in permaculture as a concept. Soil connects every aspect of the earth together, and gives us the resources we need to thrive. It needs to be taken care of just as it provides for us, and that is truly where permaculture comes into the picture. Perma-culturists believe pesticides are not necessary to having a healthy and protected ecosystem, nature does that on its own and celebrates diversity. Applying these principles to soil gives a head start to letting nature do what it will do in that micro-ecosystem. Encouraging microorganisms and even what we characterize as pests into the garden, letting them all interact will, in most cases, actually helps the soil thrive and in turn our food to thrive. As said earlier, trial and error is a major part of the permaculture system, allowing failures can sometimes turn into the biggest successes. Using resources is also important; doing research into such things as the soil ecosystem will give gardeners the knowledge to really boost their production and bring them closer to their gardens. The resources shown below are ones Fritz was kind enough to share with us, and they are a good place to start in the world of permaculture.