Ugly Dirt Or Attractive Soil?

The "last thing" that happens on most new home construction sites is the landscaping. Landscaping is all the pretty yard stuff, like grass, shrubs, and trees. Yet what is the "first thing" that happens when a developer buys a big chunk of property? All the mature trees are cut down; all the good-looking, attractive soil (the top layer) is slicked off and sold. Then the digging and transformation begins. The once attractive soil has turned into dirt as ugly as a troll.

People refer to dirt and soil as the same thing. They are not.

Dennis and the moonscape

I pulled into the driveway of a sold new home. The owners were ready to move in, but the landscape wasn't finished. Nothing. The site was a rock-sand-dirt moonscape; yet the trees had to get planted. I am a consulting arborist, which means I like to talk, teach, observe, and be amazed; that's what consultants do. And my new friend Dennis amazed me. He was the hole digger that day, and he had to get the trees planted no matter what.

Dennis starts his hole with a pickaxe; it bounces off the dirt like a BB hitting a Sherman Tank.

Dennis tried again and again with the same results. But Dennis had to plant these trees, so he borrowed an electric 32-pound demolition jackhammer. Two hours later: two planted trees, and desperate hope that the trees would somehow survive.

Let me ask you: do you live in a new home, and your landscaping is not thriving? Are your plants growing in ugly dirt, or attractive soil?

What makes soil attractive?

How can you remember what I am writing about? Remember this: what makes soil so attractive are the same qualities that make a person attractive.

Attractive soil is rich; rich in organic matter. Attractive soil, like attractive people, carries a magnetic charge; it draws in and holds nutrients, water, and life: microorganisms, micro flora and fauna. Attractive people usually smell good, and so does healthy soil. Good soil has a very earthy aroma; you know that fresh smell after a rainstorm. We as humans are very "in touch" with soil. Maybe it's the "Carbon Connection." All living things are made from carbon. Good soil just resonates within us; it's deeply calming, almost hypnotic.

Attractive people and attractive soil are thriving and alive. Attractive people have a lot going on in their lives. So does attractive soil:

A single spoonful of healthy soil probably contains more living microorganisms than there are people on Earth. Now that's thrivin'.

Perfect soil? Yes, it exists

Let me conclude with a difference. No person is perfect; not even the attractive ones. But a good attractive soil? I think it can be. Highly attractive soil is a perfect blend of sand, silt, and clay. A perfect soil drains well yet holds just enough water, and lets trees, shrubs, and grass stretch out and breathe.