Is Compost the BEST way to Improve Soil? (Science Explained)

In this video, we explain the two reasons why making compost isn't the miracle solution for building healthy soil and how to use the easier and cheaper ecological technique.

▶ Learn how to use this eco-logical approach with these comprehensive and practical handbooks from Learning from Nature

RESEARCH PAPERS ON ORGANIC MATTER RETENTION IN SOIL -
▶ Kätterer T, Bolinder MA, Andrén O, Kirchmann H, Menichetti L. Roots contribute more to
refractory soil organic matter than above-ground crop residues, as revealed by a long-term field

@LearningfromNature is a social enterprise - our goal is to help farmers and gardeners benefit from growing food eco-logically. If you got valuable information from this video, please consider supporting our work with Super Thanks (see icon below video).

CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction
0:50 Not an effective tool for increasing organic matter
2:07 Microbes don't survive
2:20 Best way to create fertile soil

#gardening #organic farming #learningfromnature

[tecmow]

This is really fascinating, thank you.

In practical terms then are you saying:
1. Leave plant roots in the soil
2. Always have plants growing in the soil
3. Have a diversity of plants growing in the soil
4. Leave the roots in the soil once annuals have died
4. Some nutrients in the growing plants can be supplemented by compost but the plants themselves are doing the donkey work of contributing to the soil ecosystem health

[RonEstrada]

I’m thoroughly enjoying your videos. And feeling hopeful for my ability to keep gardening. Weeding gets harder and harder every year. Time to work with nature!

[kaisnow]

Love the practical tips and approach! I’m excited for the next video!

[michaelwooding]

Dr Christine Jones states that root exudates provide 5 to 30 times the carbon compared to surface residues (similar to a mulch) so maximising exudates is the best way to improve soil. For compost I read that French horticulturalists use unfinished compost so in addition to introducing soil microbes you are providing a food source for them as well.

Interestingly, the resulting slow release of CO2 is claimed to provide a high CO2 micro-climate just under your plants leaves similar to CO2 injection in commercial greenhouses.

[lksf]

You ask the question 'How do we improve our soil?' then don't really answer it. You've taken the broad term of 'compost' and wrongly assumed all compost is alike which it obviously isn't.
As far as getting roots and their exudites into the soil, then as long as you're growing something in that soil it's getting those. So the answer is: Grow plants in your soil to make it more healthy.

[williamwaters]

That was a waste of time, no explanation as to why compost is not the best way to improve soil or what is a better method.

[Happy-tcjt]

Thank you, what would you suggest sowing as a good edible covercrop??could I use creeping Charlie(not edible...but very good ground cover and easy to pull out of the ground

[robertdouglas]

Are the plants that come up as weeds some of the best for the locality as they have adapted to the area?

[zylsplj]

I thought you were going to mention Bio Char as creating habitat for the microbes

[pandaslsjjsks]

Please!I want to ask a question.
Can soil organisms live in waterlogged soil?
In our region, rain season long about 5 months.Soil is always wet in this time.

[SethsuwaNaturals]

how can we develop tropical country sandy soil to better soil

[BlueSapphire]

When starting a home vegie garden with a depleted soil structure, compost adds some structure to the soil in the form of broken down organic matter. Each time we add compost this helps improve this soil structure. By adding additional mulch and liquid organic fertilizers, this garden will continue to improve over time.

This has been my experience.

Managing larger fields for crop growing would require green manuring and your methods would also assist. Would u agree?

[tenand]

This is just blah blah without anything substantial information being told

[Change-Maker]

Hmm..composts are not the same, what you are saying is true for the typical hot compost/aerobic, there is a lot of carbondioxide release

However, if you have facultative microbes like in Bokashi...the nutrient cycles does not release so much carbondioxide as you say.

Another key method to make the compost slow release and long term is by adding it to Biochar.

Once nutrient cycling begins...then you are doing things regeneratively and long term.

Also, The type of soil amending you are talking about is fungal dominant which is great for trees and other species later in succession

But for vegetable garden/farms, bacterial to fungi ratio requirements are different.

[NicholBrummer]

you are bei g mysterious, and then want me to watch a next video. No.