Soil profiles change depending on your climate. However, there is a vital exchange between plants and fungi, bacteria, and other organisms in any soil type. Building soil through the addition of organic matter has numerous impacts on your garden and beyond. It is said that pre-colonization, the eastern US had upward of 14 FEET of topsoil. It is estimated that it can take between 500 and 1000 years to build 1” of topsoil in natural processes. BUT we have the tools to accelerate soil generation through our landscape management practices. 

One free and easy technique to accelerate soil building in your yard is to utilize extra cardboard (COVID-era online shopping, anyone?) beneath compost and/or mulch to suppress weeds. The cardboard will encourage the green layer beneath to decompose, adding to the organic matter in your soil. This method is known as “sheet mulching.” While it’s an effortless technique, we’ve picked up a few pro-tips to make it extra easy!

Here’s a quick how-to video:

Soil is one of the most important aspects of a healthy garden, and there are several easy and inexpensive methods you can use to build soil fertility. If you are interested in learning all about soil building and other tried-and-true techniques for making your eco-paradise, find out more about our newest educational offering, the Regenerative Backyard Blueprint. Registration closes on April 8th, 2021.