Soil is a Living Ecosystem The key to a healthy lawn and garden is healthy soil—a living, breathing ecosystem.
The primary components of soil are minerals (inorganic materials), organic materials, water, and air. The organic matter improves the soil’s capacity to hold water and nutrients, releasing them as needed by plants. It feeds the microorganisms, which in turn makes nutrients available to plants, as well as improves the soil structure. Water makes it possible for the plants to absorb those nutrients. A healthy soil ecosystem is teeming with beneficial bacteria, fungi, and countless microorganisms, as well as the critters we can see, like earthworms and insects.