Table of Contents
Foreword by Elaine R. Ingham Beauty, Magic & Tomatoes: Why I Garden, and How the Soil Food Web Helps 10 Suggestions for Creating Healthy, Living Soil Making Soil: Building a "House"1 The Skinny on Soil: What Makes Soil Good & How Does It Get That Way? What Is Soil? What Makes Good Soil Good? What Good Is Good Soil?2 Building a House: Start with the Roof (Mulch & Cover Crops) Mulch Cover Crops3 Build the Walls: Organic Matter & the Soil Food Web That Sticks It Together Soil Organic Matter The Soil Food Web: A Gardener's Best Friend Biodiversity 101: Microbes Biodiversity 102: Algae, Bugs, Worms, and More4 Install Ventilation, Plumbing & a Nice Pantry: No-Till Growing, Paths & CEC Step Away from the Rototiller! Make Paths What Is CEC? How to Increase CEC5 Feed the Inhabitants: Photosynthesis, Minerals & Soil Testing Photosynthesis: Empty but Necessary Calories Macronutrients & Micronutrients To Test or Not to Test6 Compost and Compost Tea: It's Not Rocket Science Benefits and Tools Is It Compost or Is It Mulch? How to Build a Compost Pile Maintaining a Compost Pile: It Needs Your Love When Is It Done? Growing Pains Fungally or Bacterially Dominated? Worm Bins Frequently Asked Questions, Answered Compost Tea for a Non-Rocket Scientist with a Bucket7 Where Do I Start? Building a Garden That Feeds Itself Step 1: Pick a Spot Step 2: Get Water to It Step 3: Decide where You'll Walk Step 4: Soften the Soil Step 5: Pull Stuff Up, Throw Stuff Down Step 6: Mulch Step 7: Plant Stuff8 Housework & Home Repairs: How Not to Make Your Neighbors Hate You Maintenance = Mulch Putter, Don't Work Glossary Bibliography Metric Conversions Index