I never thought about this

I'm currently reading, "Gardening when it counts - growing food in hard times" by Steve Solomon.

I read this from the book and thought I would share it, as I had never thought about this before, even before my gardening journey began.

Winter's freezing halts the soil's biological process. When the thaw comes, the soil ecology starts up again, but from near zero.  From this cold start, useful soil microorganisms and small soil animals have as good a chance to dominate as do the unwanted ones.  The good guys can be helped out with crop rotation and a bit of compost.

He was talking about how if you live in a place where the ground does not freeze solid to 18 inches or more for a few months, that it may not be possible to grow a garden successfully after the first few years.  That you could still grow a garden there.  He wasn't saying that a garden wouldn't actually grow.  He meant that without crop rotation and the addition of compost that the productivity of the garden would go down.

This is something that I had never thought about.

I know that in the winter it is good to have snow, as it melts slowly into the earth soil it adds needed moisture and nitrogen (I believe, I'll have to look that one up.)

I also know, that in winter, when it's cold, usually germs are killed off by the cold.  At least that is what we've always been lead to believe. 

So this thought about the freezing ground makes sense to me.  It helps to "kill off" the "bad" microorganisms and it gives the "good" ones a starting chance to make the soil good.

It's strange, isn't it?  I don't know about you, but now, as I drive around doing my errands or helping someone with theirs, I look at all the yards.  All the yards around where I live that are so manicured and well taken care of.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.  For the people who live there.  But I've begun to look at all those homes and say within my head, "wouldn't some apple trees look lovely there?" or "That yard gets so much southern exposure, a vegetable garden would get fabulous light there."  And even, "What a nice level yard.  I wish I had that one for my garden."

But, as the title of my blog says, "growing where I am planted", the yard I have is the yard I have and I need to make the best of it, sloping ground and all.

So, I continue to read.  I continue to learn and listen to what other gardeners thoughts are about growing things, especially soil, as ours was neglected for so long.

It is a journey I am on now and I'd love to have you share it with me.  I always love to hear your comments and I hope that you enjoy some tidbit that I care to share.