We all dream of it: A breathtaking, lush, verdant garden that nourishes our souls and makes us the envy of the neighborhood. And to make that dream come true, our first thoughts tend to focus on plants. But the garden is a structure, and like any structure, it requires a good foundation. That’s where soil health comes in.

Soil is not just “dirt.” It’s a living ecosystem teeming with nutrients, organic matter and billions of organisms like bacteria, fungi, insects and invertebrates like worms. That ecosystem is estimated to be home to 59% of all life, “making it the singular most biodiverse habitat on Earth,” according to a 2023 research article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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