Soil & Plants (Part 204)

By: John Ferguson

I read an interesting article the other day from the Journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (2022). The researchers found that the only other animal besides humans that can tell the difference between odd and even numbers are honey bees! So much for wasps being the intellectuals of the insect kingdom. 

There are many health benefits to being a gardener. From a study in the journal Nature Regenerative Medicine (2021) the researchers found that exercise helps protect against bone cancer and other bone related illnesses. 

They also found that the exercise started ossification, which is the process of building new bone and strengthening new bone. Now when we are shoveling soil, spreading compost of mulch, etc. we should be thankful instead of complaining about the work. 

A study in the journal Science Advances (2022) by the College of medicine and Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M, identified the crucial role of minerals in regulating gene expression. This effect controls the number of proteins that a cell should make, encouraging tissue regeneration. Mineral (elements) work interactively with vitamins, enzymes, hormones and other nutrient factors to regulate thousands of bodily functions. These elements can turn on or turn off a gene’s expression within a cell. Without them our bodies cannot function properly. 

From our study a while back, we know there are 79 elements found in the human body, and they are essential for good health. If they are not in the soil, they do not get into our vegetables, herbs or fruits. 

This is why re-mineralizing our soils is so important. As part of my standard gardening practice, I apply some re-mineralizer into every hole I dig before planting a new plant. I also top dressed all my beds and lawn to ensure all the elements a plant might need are in the soil. 

The old agricultural practice of plants needing only 16 elements is obsolete. This is why there are so many health problems related to nutrient deficiencies (90% of all U.S. residents). This is another reason organic fertilizers work better as they more elements in them than artificial fertilizers. 

One of the reasons I use an aged (composted) native mulch, is that it is loved by earthworms, whom then mix these minerals into the soil and help change them into a plant available form. 

Another issue with artificial fertilizers is that they wash away, thus we have to use them 4-5 times per year. This leaching causes many problems as they wash into our streams. The Gulf of Mexico dead zone forms every year during the summer, fueled by nutrients washing down the Mississippi River from Midwest farms from the artificial fertilizers. It typically covers at least 6,000 square miles, sometimes expanding up to 9,000 square miles (23,000 square kilometers), and affects an area very rich in fisheries. 

When these dead zones are created the sea life dies. With dozens of these dead zones around the world we have lost enough seafood (protein) to feed billons of people.