Soil Science for Gardeners: Working with Nature to Build Soil Health

by Robert Pavlis

Overview

Build nutrient-dense soil that grows healthier plants with less work and fewer problems. Science-based guide reveals how soil biology actually works, enabling gardeners to create living soil ecosystems that naturally resist pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies.

Why Understanding Soil Science Transforms Gardening:

Most gardening problems stem from poor soil health. When you understand soil biology, you can create conditions where plants thrive naturally, reducing the need for fertilizers, pesticides, and constant intervention.

What You'll Master:

• Soil testing and analysis to understand your current soil conditions and needs
• Microorganism management for building beneficial bacteria and fungi populations
• Organic matter integration that feeds soil life while improving structure and drainage
• Natural nutrient cycling that makes plants more nutritious and flavorful
• Problem diagnosis through soil observation rather than guesswork

Garden Transformation Results:

Gardeners applying soil science principles report 40-60% reduction in plant problems, improved harvest quality, and dramatically reduced need for external inputs within one growing season.

Grow better plants by building better soil. Essential for gardeners ready to move beyond trial-and-error toward scientific understanding.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780865719309
Publisher:	New Society Publishers
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Series:	Garden Science Series , #1
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Robert Pavlis has been an avid gardener for over four decades. He is the owner and developer of Aspen Grove Gardens, a 6-acre botanical garden that features over 3,000 varieties of plants. Specializing in soil science, he has been an instructor for Landscape Ontario and is a garden blogger, writer, and chemist. The author of Building Natural Ponds, Pavlis is a well-known speaker whose audiences include Master Gardener groups, horticultural societies, orchid societies, and garden shows such as Canada Blooms and the FarmSmart conference. He teaches gardening fundamentals at the University of Guelph and garden design for the City of Guelph, Ontario, where he currently resides. www.gardenmyths.com www.gardenfundamentals.com www.youtube.com/Gardenfundamentals1

Table of Contents

Introduction
What Is Soil Health?
Using the Book
Terminology

SECTION 1: UNDERSTANDING SOIL
1. Soil Basics
    Components of Soil
    Origin of Soil
    Soil Particles
    Soil Texture
    Importance of Particle Size
    Air and Water
    Aggregation and Soil Structure
    Soil pH

2. Plant Nutrients
    Ions
    What Is Salt?
    Movement of Nutrients in Soil
    Essential Plant Nutrients
    Micronutrients
    Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)

3. Soil Life
    Energy Food Web
    The Power of Large Molecules
    Ratio of Fungi to Bacteria
    Chemicals in the Soil
    Pathogen Control
    Identification of Microbes

4. Bacteria
    What Do They Eat?
    Where Do They Live?
    Role in Disease Prevention
    Ideal Environment
    Role in Building Soil Aggregates
    Conditions that Harm Bacteria
    Nitrogen Fixation

5. Fungi
    What Do They Eat?
    Where Do They Live?
    Fungi at War
    Fungal Parasites
    Mycorrhizal Fungi

6. Other Organisms
    Actinomycetes
    Algae
    Protozoa
    Nematodes
    Arthropods
    Earthworms

7. Organic Matter
    Decomposition: Converting Dead Things into Humus
    Truth About Humus
    Too Much Organic Matter
    Compost
    Chelation

8. Rhizosphere
    Root Exudates
    Soil Enzymes
    Effect of Desiccation
    Soil pH Levels
    Dynamic Microbe Population
    Allelochemicals
    Plants Are in Control

SECTION 2: SOLVING SOIL PROBLEMS
9. Identifying Soil Problems
    Why Do We Fertilize?
    Soil Testing
    Plants as Indicators of Soil Problems
    Plant Tissue Analysis
    DIY Test Kits
    Determining Soil Texture
    Crusted Soil
    Quantification of Microbes
    Level of Organic Matter
    Compaction
    Hardpan
    Drainage

10. Gardening Techniques That Affect Soil
    Tilling
    Working the Land
    Mulching
    Hoeing
    Cover Crops
    Raised Bed Gardening
    Crop Rotation
    Companion Planting

11. Solving Chemical Issues
    Buffer Capacity
    Increasing pH
    Decreasing pH
    Saline and Sodic Soils
    Increasing CEC
    Synthetic vs Organic Fertilizers
    Understanding Fertilizers
    Synthetic Fertilizers
    Organic Fertilizers
    Fad Products

12. Solving Microbe Issues
    Inoculation
    Solarization
    Controlling Pathogens
    Compost Tea
    Best Practice for Increasing Microbe Populations

13. Increasing Organic Matter
    Options for Adding Organic Matter
    Cover Crops
    Vermicompost
    Bokashi Compost
    Biochar
    Biosolids

14. Dealing with Structural Problems
    Compaction
    Drainage Issues
    Modifying Soil Texture
    Clay Soils
    Sandy Soils

SECTION 3: A PERSONALIZED PLAN FOR HEALTHY SOIL
15. Developing a Plan for Soil Health Improvement

16. How Detailed Should You Get?

17. Soil Health Assessment
    Chemical Tests
    Soil Sampling Instructions

18. Soil Health Action Plan
    Soil Health Assessment
    Action Plan
    Action Plan Follow-up

Appendix A: Soil Health Assessment Form
Appendix B: Action Plan for the Year
Index
About the Author
About New Society Publishers

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Robert Pavlis once again proves science is wonderful! Soil Science for Gardeners explains why things work in your garden! Equally important, Pavlis uses science to destroy so many gardening myths. This is a book for all gardeners, especially the curious ones."
— Jeff Lowenfels, author, DIY Autoflowering Cannabis and the Teaming With Trilogy

"Robert Pavlis speaks the language of plants. More to the point, while he understands the science of healthy plant life he knows that none of this knowledge is very useful to the average gardener (nor of much interest) until it is distilled into language that we understand. Voila! Soil Science for Gardeners. This book will help readers understand the language of horticulture as it relates to soil. And good soil health is the foundation of every great garden and every successful garden experience. You will become a more confident gardener and your enjoyment of the gardening experience will be that much deeper. I will place my copy of this book within easy reach for future reference. Its pages will become well-worn from use long before it becomes compost. And in my books, composting a good book after it has served its purpose is a high compliment. From book to earth, from earth to life. From life to book. I predict that your reading experience of this book will enlighten and inform you like no other."
— Mark Cullen, C.M., president, Mark's Choice, co-author, Escape to Reality

"Like many gardeners, I use soil all the time, yet rarely give it much of a thought. But Soil Science for Gardeners takes you behind the scenes to the underground world of soil: what it is, its inhabitants, and how to use soil to really get the gardening results you want. Much of what you thought you knew about soil is simply not true and you'll learn why, plus how to make the soil you garden as healthy as possible. Painless science, practical knowledge. Read it from beginning to end!"
— Larry Hodgson, the Laidback Gardener

"Good gardens start from the ground up. In Soil Science for Gardeners, Robert Pavlis tells what's going on in soils and then offers practical directions to manage soil for more productive and healthier plants."
— Lee Reich, author, The Ever Curious Gardener

"Natural systems are more than the sum of their parts. And yet to understand them we must closely examine these parts. Soil Science for Gardeners takes us on a journey through the microscopic levels of soil geology, chemistry, and biology, and illuminates the soil ecology that sustains all life on land. From this knowledge base it then teaches us strategies and methods to regenerate and sustain life giving soil."
— Darrell E. Frey, author, Bioshelter Market Garden and co- author, The Food Forest Handbook

"Thank goodness for this book! If I had one wish for all gardeners, no matter their experience, I'd wish for them to endeavor to understand the vital role that soil plays in gardening success, and then, I'd have them read this book for the most comprehensive understanding behind it all. As a self-proclaimed soil super-fan, this is the most comprehensive book on the subject I've ever seen. I've been following Robert's work for a long time and I trust his science-based, no-nonsense approach to helping us all debunk gardening myths while making us all smarter gardeners in the process. Robert is one of my trusted, go-to sources when I want to get to the bottom line, and this book does that in spades. Soil Science for Gardeners will teach us everything we want and need to know about the critical role soil plays in the success of our garden and landscape, and more. It's extremely well thought out, comprehensive and a joy to read: practical wisdom for real life application in all our gardening pursuits. Three cheers for Soil Science for Gardeners!"
— Joe Lamp'l, Creator and Host of Emmy Award-winning PBS television series, Growing a Greener World® and Founder, joegardener.com and The joe gardener® Show podcast

Editorial Reviews

"Robert Pavlis once again proves science is wonderful! Soil Science for Gardeners explains why things work in your garden! Equally important, Pavlis uses science to destroy so many gardening myths. This is a book for all gardeners, especially the curious ones."
— Jeff Lowenfels, author, DIY Autoflowering Cannabis and the Teaming With Trilogy

"Robert Pavlis speaks the language of plants. More to the point, while he understands the science of healthy plant life he knows that none of this knowledge is very useful to the average gardener (nor of much interest) until it is distilled into language that we understand. Voila! Soil Science for Gardeners. This book will help readers understand the language of horticulture as it relates to soil. And good soil health is the foundation of every great garden and every successful garden experience. You will become a more confident gardener and your enjoyment of the gardening experience will be that much deeper. I will place my copy of this book within easy reach for future reference. Its pages will become well-worn from use long before it becomes compost. And in my books, composting a good book after it has served its purpose is a high compliment. From book to earth, from earth to life. From life to book. I predict that your reading experience of this book will enlighten and inform you like no other."
— Mark Cullen, C.M., president, Mark's Choice, co-author, Escape to Reality

"Like many gardeners, I use soil all the time, yet rarely give it much of a thought. But Soil Science for Gardeners takes you behind the scenes to the underground world of soil: what it is, its inhabitants, and how to use soil to really get the gardening results you want. Much of what you thought you knew about soil is simply not true and you'll learn why, plus how to make the soil you garden as healthy as possible. Painless science, practical knowledge. Read it from beginning to end!"
— Larry Hodgson, the Laidback Gardener

"Good gardens start from the ground up. In Soil Science for Gardeners, Robert Pavlis tells what's going on in soils and then offers practical directions to manage soil for more productive and healthier plants."
— Lee Reich, author, The Ever Curious Gardener

"Natural systems are more than the sum of their parts. And yet to understand them we must closely examine these parts. Soil Science for Gardeners takes us on a journey through the microscopic levels of soil geology, chemistry, and biology, and illuminates the soil ecology that sustains all life on land. From this knowledge base it then teaches us strategies and methods to regenerate and sustain life giving soil."
— Darrell E. Frey, author, Bioshelter Market Garden and co- author, The Food Forest Handbook

"Thank goodness for this book! If I had one wish for all gardeners, no matter their experience, I'd wish for them to endeavor to understand the vital role that soil plays in gardening success, and then, I'd have them read this book for the most comprehensive understanding behind it all. As a self-proclaimed soil super-fan, this is the most comprehensive book on the subject I've ever seen. I've been following Robert's work for a long time and I trust his science-based, no-nonsense approach to helping us all debunk gardening myths while making us all smarter gardeners in the process. Robert is one of my trusted, go-to sources when I want to get to the bottom line, and this book does that in spades. Soil Science for Gardeners will teach us everything we want and need to know about the critical role soil plays in the success of our garden and landscape, and more. It's extremely well thought out, comprehensive and a joy to read: practical wisdom for real life application in all our gardening pursuits. Three cheers for Soil Science for Gardeners!"
— Joe Lamp'l, Creator and Host of Emmy Award-winning PBS television series, Growing a Greener World® and Founder, joegardener.com and The joe gardener® Show podcast

From the Publisher