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Article: Managing Soils For Sustain ability.
- Article from:
- Arbor Age
- Article date:
- June 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 M2Media360. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Soil Management 101: Work soils at planting, apply water as needed, and fertilize trees annually. If this is your definition of managing soils, stop and reconsider your approach. Today, soil management is more complex and requires an understanding of below-ground ecology. You need a working knowledge of root physiology, physical/chemical soil attributes, water, solubility of elements, soil microorganisms, and organic matter.
Sound daunting? Perhaps, but there's a growing belief that soils should be managed for sustainability. Sustainable soils are soils that constantly renew themselves (through decomposition of organic matter, etc.). The only true soils that are ...