Get down in the dirt and learn about nature’s nutrient-packed blanket…
Mud, Glorious Mud…
The top six inches of soil support all life on earth. We should treasure it, nourish our soils, and spread the word down the generations. There really is nothing quite like it.
Soil shakes in six simple steps:
Children love messy play and are more likely to learn when having fun. One way to get them to observe soil types is to make a soil shake.
Soil is made of sand, silt, clay and loam. The largest particle is sand, the smallest is clay. The particles sit in layers. Bedrock is at the bottom, then there’s subsoil, and finally the gorgeously rich topsoil.
- Place a sample of soil in a clear container (with a lid)
- Fill the container two thirds full of water
- Keep adding soil until it’s nearly full
- Pop the lid on – and SHAKE!
- Watch your ‘shakes’ over a few days and see how the soil settles
- Larger particles, such as sand, will sink to the bottom while smaller ones will be closer to the top
What lies beneath…
They are the most common living creature found in soil and have been keeping our soils healthy and fertilised for 600 billion years. But let’s face it – they’re a little strange!
Wonderfully weird worm facts:
- Earthworms have mouths, but breathe through their skin.
- The pointy bit is the head, not the tail.
- They grow another head if a bird should snap it off, while pulling it!
- Worms have no eyes.
- Some 25 species live in the UK.
- They can live to 10 years old.
- They excrete their own body weight in poo (worm casts), each day! Yuk.
How to be a worm
There are dozens of practical ways to improve the condition and texture of soil. Why not try some of these top tips. Healthier soil means happy, healthier plants. Get the whole family involved – and be more worm!
- Build a compost heap with your little ones.
- Compost your vegetable peelings.
- Save your fire ashes, they’re full of goodness.
- Supplement your soil regularly with compost and other organic matter.
- Do your digging when the soil is neither too wet nor too dry.
- Leave windfalls, garden clippings etc. where they lie – all the nutrients can soak back into the soil.
- Support soil-friendly organic farming every time you shop – you can make a difference!
For more information on grow, harvesting and eating seasonally visit; www.thecommunityfarm.co.uk