CORVALLIS – Adding organic matter is the best way to improve nearly all kinds of soils. If you’re unsure if your soil needs amendments, take note if it dries and cracks in summer, drains slowly or is ...

AS PROMISED LAST week, today we will discuss why organic matter “is the miracle drug of gardening.” The lack of sufficient organic material is no laughing matter when it comes to your soil’s tilth and ...

A principal challenge of cultivating a healthy and productive vegetable garden is maintaining an adequate level of organic matter in the soil. Decomposed organic matter, humus, — not hummus, which is ...

Soils lose moisture quickly during droughts because the molecular interactions that help retain water are not fully understood. Understanding this mechanism can help engineer soils to better preserve ...