07/30/2026
When we look at how soil health affects productivity, it helps to compare systems with microbes, compost, and ground cover to those with exposed soil.
Organic matter in compost helps retain moisture in the soil. As microbes break down sugars, carbohydrates, and minerals, they slowly build humidified material that further improves water-holding capacity and soil structure. Keeping the soil surface shaded, using mulch or the shade from living plants, helps keep evaporation to a minimum and the soil surface cool.
Bringing together organic matter from compost, active microbes, and consistent ground cover creates an environment that supports water retention and improves soil structure. The result is often reduced water usage and higher yields over time.
Alternatively, in the absence of microbes, compost, or ground cover, water evaporates much more quickly and surface temperatures increase. This can cause the soil to dry out, microbial life to diminish, and the physical characteristics of the soil to change. In clay soils especially, the surface can compact and crack, due to reduced flocculation—a chemical process that helps maintain proper soil structure by keeping elements within the soil bound together.
When the soil is collapsed, the surface of the soil can become impenetrable as clay particles stack on top of themselves, creating a hard crust that causes water pooling, runoff, and erosion. Maintaining healthy structured soil is critical for opening pore space and allowing water move deeper into the ground.
Watch for our next tip on building healthy, productive soils.
