The DRP team absolutely loves the videos on this page by environment scientist Octaivia Hopwood. The links to articles, books, and videos on our Deep Roots blog posts are not merely copied and pasted. They have been selected after hours spent consulting and evaluating literally hundreds of resources.

Soil education helps new gardeners solve problems

Nature’s unpredictability requires the ability to troubleshoot. At DRP we believe that our full-immersion soil health education will help our organic kitchen gardeners (especially first-timers) meet unexpected challenges. We also believe that prevention is better than crisis intervention. Preparing healthy soil is the key to avoiding problems with unwanted plant diseases and harmful pests.

The narrator of all 3 videos on this page is environmental scientist Octaivia Hopwood. Although she is in a forest for the video, much of what she talks about is applicable to the raised bed environment too. Her clear explanations and pleasant speaking pace and style have made her a favorite of many nature enthusiasts (including us!). Enjoy!

THE SOIL FOOD WEB VIDEO BY 59 Degrees

Take-away from this video.

The soil food web is made up of a multitude of organisms. The environment beneath our feet is far more complex than we can even comprehend.

The simplicity of this video and the well-written narrative brings complex ideas to life. This short and sweet presentation provides a useful frame of reference for the DRP Method which puts soil health before everything. These key points of the video are taken from the video content:

• The soil itself is not alive – but it is bursting with life. There is a hidden world beneath our feet.

• The ecosystem is much more than just a bunch of worms and beetles.

• There are in fact thousands of millions of organisms in just one teaspoon of soil.

• The soil houses a complex network where each of the weird and wonderful creatures has its unique role (DRP Note: We only know about 1% of the organisms that exist and limited information about their role - and everything we know we have learned relatively recently).

• The transfer of energy, carbon and nutrients from dead organic matter into new life is what it’s all about, in a nutshell.

THE RHIZOSPHERE By 59 Degrees

Take-away from this video.

• Every single plant leaf is like a miniature solar panel – where photosynthesis captures light and uses it to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and sugar. Simple sugars form the building blocks of plants.

• Plants need more than sugars to survive – they also need nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous and they get these essential elements from the soil.

• Plant roots’ ability to obtain nutrients from the soil are often limited. The Rhizosphere is the immediate area around the root hair where plant roots and the organisms within the soil have what Olivia, the video narrator refers to as an ingenious trade-off.

Plant Succession By 59 Degrees

Take-away from this video.

Our focus in the garden is to produce vigorous and healthy plants – but we want to also be aware of our management of the soil. We want to treat our soil in a way that is beneficial to the entire planet.

This video encourages everyone to be responsible land stewards, while we are gardening we need to appreciate the ecosystems that are ever-changing around us. Changes are above the ground and beneath our feet in the soil. The biological processes within the soil are intricately connected to the ecosystem and its processes. Some key topics introduced in this video are:

• Plant succession makes reference to the different plants that adapt to the gradual changes in an environment over time due to the biological processes above and below the ground.

• The process of plant succession has been going on for millions of years. At each successional change, the biology within the soil adapts to the ecosystem and various changes in the environment.

• Understanding succession processes are fundamental to all “growers” so they can use this knowledge to their advantage and shape soil conditions to benefit the plants they want to grow.

• Soils are dominated by bacteria or fungi. They break down organic matter and add nutrients into the soil.

• Some plants “prefer” a bacterial dominated environment and others grow better in a fungal dominated soil.

• Soil will have either more bacteria or fungi and it is useful to know which is more abundant in order to prepare the soil appropriately for the desired plants.

• Veggies like a bacterial soil and the bacteria releases nitrogen which vegetables need and love.

• Don’t suck nitrogen out of the soil with synthetic fertilizers – but use rich green matter like composted manure.

• Soil disturbance is unavoidable in our gardens – but it is best to keep it to a minimum  

Our Innovative Food Gardening Method

Learn more in our two recently revised blog posts.

Our online store

See our online store for details about prices, ordering and delivery of raised beds, compost, worm castings and more. Please contact our customer support team before placing an order online so we can assist you with the details and answer your gardening questions.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

Contact us at (708) 655-5299 or support[at]deep-roots-project.org.

Stay in touch

Please leave your cell phone number when you sign up for our eNewsletter, if you want text message announcements now and then.

Donations help us provide organic kitchen gardening education to individuals, organizations, and entire communities. Thank you in advance for contributing to our community and for sharing our website and blog with friends and family.