Soil Health

how to build healthy soil

The key to improving soil is increasing the percentage of organic matter and biodiversity. Scientists have discovered more microbes in a teaspoon of healthy soil than people on the planet (USDA). And, that is why it is called living soil. The soil food web makes it all possible.

So how do you go about building organic matter and biodiversity? Compost!

Composting organic matter is the process of allowing Mother Nature’s microbes to break down and decompose the waste converting it into water soluble nutrients and food for more microorganisms. Microorganisms act as both the clean-up crew as well as assist your plants with nutrient cycling. The organisms travel through the soil delivering needed food and water to the root system in exchange for exudates produced through photosynthesis by your plants.

People ask us all the time how the AeromatiCo liquid composter works. Check out the videos below to see the types of bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, and rotifers that flourish in the microbiome of the AeromatiCo compost bin. These aerobic microbes are readily available to drench on your soil improving the organic matter and inoculating the soil to promote new colonies of beneficial microbes.

Vorticella is a type of ciliate. It is a single-cell bell-shaped protozoa that has cilia rotating to create vortices that sweep in their food sources, bacteria. Vorticella live in moist soil and near plant roots.

Vorticella form a stalk to adhere to substrates. This allows the organism to contract into a ball for protection.

Rotifers are multicellular animals that live in aquatic ecosystems. The coronal cilia pull food into the chewing pharynx (called the mastax). This powerful muscular wall contains tiny, calcified, jaw-like structures called trophi, which are the only fossilizable parts of a rotifer.

Notice the tiny bacteria the rotifer inch worms it’s way toward. They eat up to 10,000 bacteria per day.

Flagellate are yet another type of eukaryote with one or more whip-like tails or flagella. The flagella is used to propel the organism through the substrate, or to collect food. Flagellates eat bacteria and other protists and assist plants in nutrient cycling.

This crawling ciliate is one of the many aerobic ciliates that are harmless to people. In fact, only one type of ciliate is pathogenic to humans.

Ciliates add biodiversity to the soil increasing fertility and soil organic matter.

Paramecia is another type of ciliate. They feed on microorganisms like bacteria, algae, and yeasts. To gather food, the Paramecium makes movements with cilia to sweep prey organisms, along with some water, through the oral groove (vestibulum, or vestibule), and into the cell.

For more details on all the types of microbes we find in our liquid compost tea, visit us on YouTube.

If you’d like to learn more about how to build your own continuous process liquid compost bin, download our Free DIY Instructions. And, if you want the custom designed lid and filter, you can order your very own kit today.