The Importance of Soil Management
Fred Newcombe

Gary Zimmer wrote a great piece that was published in the February 2023 issue of Acres U.S.A. Magazine. Titled “Managing What You Can Measure”, this article really emphasizes the importance of soil management. Zimmer states that crops are complex and there is a lot we don’t know. Therefore, it’s paramount that we do something about the things that we can do something about. Among many things, this explains why we don’t worry about bio-assays, or even textural analysis, when it comes to growing turf.

While Gary Zimmer is speaking to an audience predominately made up of farmers, his holistic approach to growing crops is applicable to turf care as well.  He touches on how adjusting pH is foundational. In our approach to organic lawn care, we address pH because when that moves, everything else moves with it. 

In this article, Zimmer drives home the value of making changes based on a soil test. Zimmer says: “Management starts with taking a soil test. Work on adding what the test shows you is in short supply…The next step is building the biological life in your soil. We know that you need to create an ideal home for the billions of soil organisms and feed them…Create an ideal home for soil life.” If you haven’t heard, PJC Organic is passionate about soil testing. Accordingly, we base our product recommendations off of soil test analyses—healthy soil grows healthy turf!

Interested in reading more about the importance of soil management? Visit Eco Farming Daily to read the full article!