Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

Humus and moisture-retentive soil

"Humus or humified organic matter:  Complex organic compounds that remain
after 
many organisms have used and transformed the original material. Humus is
not 
readily decomposed because it is either physically protected inside of
aggregates 
or chemically too complex to be used by most organisms. Humus is important
in 
binding tiny soil aggregates, and improves water and nutrient holding
capacity."

from The Soil Biology Primer Chapter 1:   THE SOIL FOOD WEB By Elaine R.
Ingham
http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/concepts/soil_biology/soil_food_web.html

"Many soil organisms are involved in the formation and stability of soil 
aggregates. Bacterial activity, organic matter, and the chemical properties
of 
clay particles are responsible for creating microaggregates from individual
soil 
particles. Earthworms and arthropods consume small aggregates of mineral
particles
and organic matter, and generate larger fecal pellets coated with compounds
from 
the gut. These fecal pellets become part of the soil structure. Fungal
hyphae and 
root hairs bind together and help stabilize larger aggregates. Improved
aggregate 
stability, along with the burrows of earthworms and arthropods, increases 
porosity, water infiltration, and water-holding capacity."

from The Soil Biology Primer Chapter 2:  THE FOOD WEB & SOIL HEALTH By
Elaine R. 
Ingham
http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/concepts/soil_biology/fw&soilhealth.html