What you should know about soil
Not all soil is created equal. Soil serves many important functions in an ecosystem. Whether it is in your landscape or an indoor pot, soil is the medium for your plants to thrive.
The USDA’s National Resources Conservation Services notes that high-quality soil performs five functions at the same time.
The USDA’s National Resources Conservation Services notes that high-quality soil performs five functions at the same time.
Soil...
- Acts like a sponge, soaking up rainwater and limiting runoff. It also helps with groundwater recharge and controlling rainwater runoff in urban environments.
- Acts like a faucet, storing and releasing water and air for plants and animals to use.
- Acts like a supermarket, providing valuable nutrients, air, and water to plants. Soil also stores carbon and prevents it from being lost into the atmosphere.
- Acts like a strainer or filter, purifying the water and air that flows through it.
- Detoxifies and traps pollutants, such as oil, pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals, keeping them from entering groundwater supplies. It also stores nutrients for your plants
Much of Colorado’s soil is heavy clay and can be alkaline. To support the trees, shrubs, and other plants we enjoy in our urban landscapes, our soil may need some help. You can’t change the temperature, wind, or dry air we see in our state, but you can amend the soil to make it more hospitable to plant life.