Here's a quote from the book THE VEGETABLE GARDENER'S BIBLE, by Edward C. Smith. Jon reviewed these ideas with the volunteers many times in many different ways, but one more shouldn't hurt:
"Worms and various other creatures we usually group together as "bugs
are the visible part of a living soil, but they occupy just one role in the
subterranean ecosystem. If we look at a soil sample under a microscope, we
find that there are billions of microscopic creatures living down there, each
one contributing to the health of the soil. Since thriving soil is an essential part of a healthy
and productive garden, it's important to understand a bit about these creatures
and how they can help us become better gardeners.
As scientists have studied soil microorganisms, it's become clear that they are mostly
of two types:
Decomposers - These are organisms, mostly bacteria and fungi, that actually eat
organic matter (dead plants and other creatures).
Predators - These are organisms that eat the decomposers. They
range from microscopic protozoa and nematodes to quite visible earthworms.
The predators incorporate what they need from the bacteria and fungi they eat
and excrete the rest in forms that plants can use.
Together, these soil creatures, prey and predator, complete the cycle of life, turning organic matter into plant food."
The best way to make sure these soil organisms are happy is to treat the soil itself in the kindest ways we can. These include refurnishing the soil with new organic matter (compost and mulch), keeping
soil moisture and temperature steady, avoiding compaction, minimizing soil disturbance, avoiding insecticides and herbicides, and not applying chemical fertilizers.
"Worms and various other creatures we usually group together as "bugs
are the visible part of a living soil, but they occupy just one role in the
subterranean ecosystem. If we look at a soil sample under a microscope, we
find that there are billions of microscopic creatures living down there, each
one contributing to the health of the soil. Since thriving soil is an essential part of a healthy
and productive garden, it's important to understand a bit about these creatures
and how they can help us become better gardeners.
As scientists have studied soil microorganisms, it's become clear that they are mostly
of two types:
Decomposers - These are organisms, mostly bacteria and fungi, that actually eat
organic matter (dead plants and other creatures).
Predators - These are organisms that eat the decomposers. They
range from microscopic protozoa and nematodes to quite visible earthworms.
The predators incorporate what they need from the bacteria and fungi they eat
and excrete the rest in forms that plants can use.
Together, these soil creatures, prey and predator, complete the cycle of life, turning organic matter into plant food."
The best way to make sure these soil organisms are happy is to treat the soil itself in the kindest ways we can. These include refurnishing the soil with new organic matter (compost and mulch), keeping
soil moisture and temperature steady, avoiding compaction, minimizing soil disturbance, avoiding insecticides and herbicides, and not applying chemical fertilizers.
