WHERE IT ALL BEGINS: THE SOIL - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 208

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WHERE IT ALL BEGINS: THE SOIL
Soil comes in two grades: topsoil, which is the first thing (you hope) that you encounter
when you dig into the ground; and subsoil, which is the next layer of soil and is in the
process of gradually turning into topsoil. This process can require over 200 years; obvi-
ously you should cherish your topsoil.
Growing cultivated flowers and vegetables depletes the nutrients in the topsoil. If
these are not replaced, the soil becomes poorer and poorer, and less and less able to sup-
port vegetation. Fertilizer can replace some of the nutrients, but in order to prevent de-
pletion, top-soil must also be restocked with organic matter.
Organic Matter
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in spite of a disposition to chemical fertilizers, re-
ports: “Soils that have a high content of organic matter usually have many desirable
physical properties. For example, they are easy to till, absorb rain readily, and tend to be
drought-resistant. Because soils high in organic matter have these desirable properties,
some people have speculated that they might also produce plants of superior nutritional
quality and that the use of organic composts or manures would result in plants of super-
ior quality to those produced with inorganic fertilizers.” Subsequent studies have shown
this to be the case; vegetables grown on organically fertilized soil are richer in essential
vitamins and minerals.
Unlike fertilizer, it is impossible to add too much organic matter to the soil. This is
why organic gardeners prize their compost heaps so highly. If you don't have room for a
compost heap (Really? Not even an indoor earthworm bin?), not to worry. You can buy
it by the bag, or by the truckload if you need more than you make. Mulching is another
way to add organic matter.
Compost is the best source of organic matter, as well as being a not-very-concen-
trated fertilizer. If you make it yourself by recycling your own “garbage,” it's absolutely
free. Potato peelings, wilted lettuce, eggshells, coffee grounds, everything except meat
and oils (but fish is good, and fish bones). This should all go into the soil, instead of
into the garbage pail. Some city container gardeners put their vegetable leavings in the
blender with a little water and add the resulting “soup” to the soil in their containers.
If you live near a stable or in a town like mine where there are horses or pet rabbits,
you have another source of free fertilizer. Stable manure is a little messier, because it