Soil Science for Gardeners

Robert Pavlis has been an avid gardener for over four decades. He is the owner and developer of Aspen Grove Gardens, a 6-acre botanical garden that features over 3,000 varieties of plants. Specializing in soil science, he has been an instructor for Landscape Ontario and is a garden blogger, writer, and chemist. The author of Building Natural Ponds, Pavlis is a well-known speaker whose audiences include Master Gardener groups, horticultural societies, orchid societies, and garden shows such as Canada Blooms and the FarmSmart conference. He teaches gardening fundamentals at the University of Guelph and garden design for the City of Guelph, Ontario, where he currently resides. www.gardenmyths.com www.gardenfundamentals.com www.youtube.com/Gardenfundamentals1

• Introduction What Is Soil Health? Using the Book Terminology SECTION 1: UNDERSTANDING SOIL1. Soil Basics Components of Soil Origin of Soil Soil Particles Soil Texture Importance of Particle Size Air and Water Aggregation and Soil Structure Soil pH 2. Plant Nutrients Ions What Is Salt? Movement of Nutrients in Soil Essential Plant Nutrients Micronutrients Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) 3. Soil Life Energy Food Web The Power of Large Molecules Ratio of Fungi to Bacteria Chemicals in the Soil Pathogen Control Identification of Microbes 4. Bacteria What Do They Eat? Where Do They Live? Role in Disease Prevention Ideal Environment Role in Building Soil Aggregates Conditions that Harm Bacteria Nitrogen Fixation 5. Fungi What Do They Eat? Where Do They Live? Fungi at War Fungal Parasites Mycorrhizal Fungi 6. Other Organisms Actinomycetes Algae Protozoa Nematodes Arthropods Earthworms 7. Organic Matter Decomposition: Converting Dead Things into Humus Truth About Humus Too Much Organic Matter Compost Chelation 8. Rhizosphere Root Exudates Soil Enzymes Effect of Desiccation Soil pH Levels Dynamic Microbe Population Allelochemicals Plants Are in ControlSECTION 2: SOLVING SOIL PROBLEMS9. Identifying Soil Problems Why Do We Fertilize? Soil Testing Plants as Indicators of Soil Problems Plant Tissue Analysis DIY Test Kits Determining Soil Texture Crusted Soil Quantification of Microbes Level of Organic Matter Compaction Hardpan Drainage 10. Gardening Techniques That Affect Soil Tilling Working the Land Mulching Hoeing Cover Crops Raised Bed Gardening Crop Rotation Companion Planting 11. Solving Chemical Issues Buffer Capacity Increasing pH Decreasing pH Saline and Sodic Soils Increasing CEC Synthetic vs Organic Fertilizers Understanding Fertilizers Synthetic Fertilizers Organic Fertilizers Fad Products 12. Solving Microbe Issues Inoculation Solarization Controlling Pathogens Compost Tea Best Practice for Increasing Microbe Populations 13. Increasing Organic Matter Options for Adding Organic Matter Cover Crops Vermicompost Bokashi Compost Biochar Biosolids 14. Dealing with Structural Problems Compaction Drainage Issues Modifying Soil Texture Clay Soils Sandy SoilsSECTION 3: A PERSONALIZED PLAN FOR HEALTHY SOIL15. Developing a Plan for Soil Health Improvement 16. How Detailed Should You Get? 17. Soil Health Assessment Chemical Tests Soil Sampling Instructions18. Soil Health Action Plan Soil Health Assessment Action Plan Action Plan Follow-upAppendix A: Soil Health Assessment Form Appendix B: Action Plan for the Year Index About the Author About New Society Publishers

"Robert Pavlis once again proves science is wonderful! Soil Science for Gardeners explains why things work in your garden! Equally important, Pavlis uses science to destroy so many gardening myths. This is a book for all gardeners, especially the curious ones."— Jeff Lowenfels, author, DIY Autoflowering Cannabis and the Teaming With Trilogy"Robert Pavlis speaks the language of plants. More to the point, while he understands the science of healthy plant life he knows that none of this knowledge is very useful to the average gardener (nor of much interest) until it is distilled into language that we understand. Voila! Soil Science for Gardeners. This book will help readers understand the language of horticulture as it relates to soil. And good soil health is the foundation of every great garden and every successful garden experience. You will become a more confident gardener and your enjoyment of the gardening experience will be that much deeper. I will place my copy of this book within easy reach for future reference. Its pages will become well-worn from use long before it becomes compost. And in my books, composting a good book after it has served its purpose is a high compliment. From book to earth, from earth to life. From life to book. I predict that your reading experience of this book will enlighten and inform you like no other."— Mark Cullen, C.M., president, Mark's Choice, co-author, Escape to Reality"Like many gardeners, I use soil all the time, yet rarely give it much of a thought. But Soil Science for Gardeners takes you behind the scenes to the underground world of soil: what it is, its inhabitants, and how to use soil to really get the gardening results you want. Much of what you thought you knew about soil is simply not true and you'll learn why, plus how to make the soil you garden as healthy as possible. Painless science, practical knowledge. Read it from beginning to end!"— Larry Hodgson, the Laidback Gardener"Good gardens start from the ground up. In Soil Science for Gardeners, Robert Pavlis tells what's going on in soils and then offers practical directions to manage soil for more productive and healthier plants."— Lee Reich, author, The Ever Curious Gardener"Natural systems are more than the sum of their parts. And yet to understand them we must closely examine these parts. Soil Science for Gardeners takes us on a journey through the microscopic levels of soil geology, chemistry, and biology, and illuminates the soil ecology that sustains all life on land. From this knowledge base it then teaches us strategies and methods to regenerate and sustain life giving soil."— Darrell E. Frey, author, Bioshelter Market Garden and co- author, The Food Forest Handbook"Thank goodness for this book! If I had one wish for all gardeners, no matter their experience, I'd wish for them to endeavor to understand the vital role that soil plays in gardening success, and then, I'd have them read this book for the most comprehensive understanding behind it all. As a self-proclaimed soil super-fan, this is the most comprehensive book on the subject I've ever seen. I've been following Robert's work for a long time and I trust his science-based, no-nonsense approach to helping us all debunk gardening myths while making us all smarter gardeners in the process. Robert is one of my trusted, go-to sources when I want to get to the bottom line, and this book does that in spades. Soil Science for Gardeners will teach us everything we want and need to know about the critical role soil plays in the success of our garden and landscape, and more. It's extremely well thought out, comprehensive and a joy to read: practical wisdom for real life application in all our gardening pursuits. Three cheers for Soil Science for Gardeners!"— Joe Lamp'l, Creator and Host of Emmy Award-winning PBS television series, Growing a Greener World® and Founder, joegardener.com and The joe gardener® Show podcast