Healthy soil means a healthy tree. A healthy tree means healthy fruit. It\u2019s really that simple, and it\u2019s sort of our mantra around here at Uncle Matt\u2019s Organic. But how do you know when soil is healthy? How do you keep it healthy? Let\u2019s talk about what healthy soil means the organic way.<\/p>\n
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Starting Fresh<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot of factors that play into being certified organic, and one of the most important is\u2026 you guessed it: the soil. To be certified organic, you can\u2019t use any prohibitive substances \u2013 including synthetic pesticides or chemicals \u00ad\u2013\u2013 on the soil you\u2019re farming for three years prior to receiving certification. This is the timeframe the USDA requires to allow the residues from any prohibited substances to fall below USDA standards.<\/p>\n Some residues, however, can still be present years after three years. Glyphosate is one of those persistent, toxic chemicals. Every bottle of Uncle Matt\u2019s Organic is certified Glyphosate Residue Free by the Detox Project, a third-party certification company. Glyphosate is also the world\u2019s most used herbicide and is the active ingredient found in RoundUp\u00ae, as well as many other name brand herbicides. There\u2019s no glyphosate residue found in any of our juices \u2013 nor will there ever be!<\/p>\n Like glyphosate, many synthetic agro-chemicals take a long time to be fully eliminated from the soil. A big step towards building and maintaining a healthy soil is keeping crops synthetic chemical-free. If chemicals aren\u2019t used, then farmers have fresh, residue-free soil to grow in. Though there is varying evidence showing that short-term yields can<\/em> increase with synthetic chemicals, over the long-term we have seen that organic practices make for a healthier trees, which in turn bolsters nutrient density in our juices. In the end, more nutrient density means a healthier body, and planet. That all starts from the ground up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Weed Control and Organic Herbicides<\/strong><\/p>\n Many people think that a healthy soil is determined by a lack of weeds. At Uncle Matt\u2019s, we believe that yielding a healthy soil can be achieved with the presence of oft-undesirable weeds.<\/p>\n Weeds provide an opportunity for symbiosis in the soil. Weeds can certainly get in the way of production crops, but there are organic maintenance options! These holistic maintenance options we practice, and recommend, take a little more planning, but a little extra work on the front end saves us the need to rely on synthetic chemicals.<\/p>\n Rather than spraying glyphosate to manage weeds, when we plant our citrus trees, we typically lay a six-foot wide ground cloth first. Then we cut a hole in the cloth to plant the tree in the center. Weeds eventually start growing through the cloth after a while, but the ground cloth does significantly slow their progress. This is something you can easily do at home in your flower beds or around fruit trees to help with weeds, too.<\/p>\n Weed eaters are another great option! While this also doesn\u2019t rid the soil of weeds, weed eaters mow them down to reduce their appearance. This also helps keep the height of the weeds from getting out of control and potentially interfering with the tree growth. Another benefit of weed eating is the weed\u2019s roots remain. Despite their decreased above-ground appearance (and annoyance!), the living roots of weeds below ground will continue to contribute to SOM (soil organic matter), soil structure, and other beneficial soil systems such as mycorrhizal fungal networks.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for an organic herbicide for weed control, look no further than your kitchen cabinet. Our recommendation? Vinegar! The acetic acid found in vinegar stunts weed growth. Clove and Neem oils are two other compounds that have been shown to combat weed growth effectively.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What NOT to do<\/strong><\/p>\n Before putting down any synthetic herbicides, remember to pause and consider the health of the soil.<\/p>\n Plants often work together with the weeds to fuel the nutrients that the crop needs to survive; this is called \u201cNutrient Cycling.\u201d Soil microbes, alongside weeds and their root systems, are what feeds crops! Nutrients that start in the soil end up in the fruit.<\/p>\n When synthetic chemicals are applied, weeds die, and they can no longer help our citrus trees with nutrient cycling. Without healthy nutrient cycling, crops are prone to absorbing the same synthetic chemicals that killed the weeds, as well as fewer nutrients, making the harvest less nutrient dense.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cover Cropping<\/strong><\/p>\n Cover crops are planted with purpose! Even if they do produce a legume or grain (the most common cover crops), their real purpose is to support soil health. Cover crops are similar to weeds, but no mowing is required. By utilizing cover crops, you\u2019ll have less pesky weeds. A few of the cover crops we use in our citrus groves are black eyed peas, hairy indigo and hairy vetch.<\/p>\n You\u2019re probably wondering how these help the soil. Well, it\u2019s all about soil composition. To quote lifelong citrus grower, Benny McLean, \u201cEverything you need to grow the tree is already in the soil, it\u2019s just not all available. A true organic grower has to figure out how to make what\u2019s unavailable, available. It\u2019s chemistry!\u201d By using cover crops in our groves, we\u2019re making more manganese\u2013\u2013among other nutrients\u2013\u2013become available in the soil through nutrient cycling. When more productive nutrients are available, the citrus tree roots can solubilize (absorb) the nutrients. Coincidentally, cover crops assist citrus tree growth as one of primary nutrients a citrus tree needs to grow and build its immune system is manganese!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Feeding Soil Organically<\/strong><\/p>\n There are a lot of fertilizers available in the market, but many of them are synthetic and can be toxic. The gold standard for organic fertilizer is compost, especially homemade compost! Compost is a healthy way to control exactly what is being used to nourish the soil and plants. It\u2019s also planet-friendly and helps reduce yard and food waste.<\/p>\n Feather meal, peanut meal powder and cottonseed meal are also natural ways to nourish crops due to their nitrogen (N) content. Nitrogen is another element needed for healthy plant growth. Look for these and other organic fertilizer options available to you the next time you visit your local home improvement store.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Building a healthy soil foundation and maintaining its well-being doesn\u2019t have to be difficult. It\u2019s all about looking for the earth-friendly options, even if the maintenance involves a little more work. Remember, the soil is only a few steps away from the food that ends up on your plate. The healthier the foundation, the healthier you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Healthy soil means a healthy tree. A healthy tree means healthy fruit. 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