Presenter: David McMillan, Owner, Grasshopper Landscaping

Soil structure is an often maligned and forgotten element in our gardens. However, there are some of us who believe it is foundational and fundamental to a healthy garden.   The intrinsic good structure of a soil can easily be ignored, but also easily restored. But, it is not easy for the individual gardener to tease out good from OK from bad soil structure. I have a simple way for all of us to check soil structure - at least it's proxy, soil bulk density.  Because high soil density is often correlated to poor soil structure - the "heavier" (more dense) a soil mass is, the fewer pores (aka lower porosity) exist that can accommodate the critical soil functions of gas exchange, nutrient uptake, water drainage, and root penetration.

In this short talk, I will show you how to do a "kitchen counter" test for soil bulk density, explain how critical it is to have good soil structure, and provide guidance in how to improve areas of your garden soils where soil structure is poor.