Soil is Not a Dirty Word

"... the Earth... where a thin blanket of air, a thinner film of water, and the thinnest veneer of soil combine to support a web of life of wondrous diversity it continuous change" - Jack Eddy

Let’s get one thing straight, soil is not dirt, Soil is a complex material comprised of mineral and organic matter, water, air and organisms that supports the growth of plant life and, by extension, almost all life as we know it. Dirt is the "stuff you get under your fingernails and on your pants when you work," as a college professor of mine used to say.

As "tree people" we can never over estimate the importance of healthy soil and its vital contribution to healthy trees and forests. In fact, most of the forestry and arboricultural text books that I have read state quite clearly that soil characteristics have a greater influence on tree health than any other single factor. Soil provides critica] inputs for tree growth including moisture and oxygen, nutrients, and a medium in which the tree finds stability for growth. Anything that impairs the ability of soil to deliver these vital growth factors can lead to serious decline or even death of the tree.