Researchers find too much organic matter can have a negative effect on soil health.
If you’re a gardener, you’ve heard it a thousand times: Add compost to improve the soil, feed the microbes that release nutrients and grow better plants.
But what if that isn’t always the case? Believe it or not, research by Oregon State University found too much organic matter can have a negative effect. Wait. What?
There are the environmental consequences of fertilizer leaching and runoff, the expense and time to buy and apply the compost or other organic matter and, in some cases, plants burn and die from too many nutrients, according to Mykl Nelson, instructor in the OSU Department of Horticulture.
Nelson suspected that urban gardens are over-enriched. After a two-year research project, his thesis panned out. The soil samples Nelson took in 27 gardens averaged 13% organic material; the recommended minimum is 3% to 5%, according to numerous studies, including by Cornell University Extension Service.
Continue reading at Oregon State University
Image via Oregon State University
