“People don’t understand that soil is a natural resource. When we lose it to erosion or abuse… we often cannot get it back,” says Bill Lindemann, Ph.D. Soil Microbiology/Plant Physiology.
How important is healthy soil to your gardening efforts? “If you don’t have good soil, you don’t have anything,” says Lindemann. “Soil is not just the stuff that holds a plant in the ground,” he says, “soil controls the nutrients, water and oxygen available to the roots of plants.”
So how do you improve your soil? Lindemann says, “Use mulch on top to keep moisture in the soil… and feed your soil; you can amend soil with organic matter.” He uses Class A+ biosolid compost given away free from the Jacob A. Hands Wastewater Treatment Facility, noting it’s so full of iron and other micronutrients, it can repair plants suffering from yellow, unhealthy leaves.
Dr. Lindemann is now a retired NMSU professor, who occasionally still teaches soil microbiology, soil management and fertility. When he’s not teaching, he’s quite a successful gardener, practicing what he preaches and dining on the fruits of his garden.
The Lush and Lean workshops provide an opportunity for residents to sample the teaching of community experts, like Dr. Lindemann, who explains that clay-based valley soil is different from the sandy soil outside the valley. Each type of soil requires a different type of remediation to produce thriving vegetation without wasting water.
Dr. Lindemann will be sharing his soil secrets with everyone who attends this week’s free Lush and Lean presentation, Thursday, March 2, at 5:30 at the Branigan Library. The workshop is sponsored by Las Cruces Utilities (LCU), encouraging water conservation in our community.
All Lush and Lean workshops are free and open to the public; they are held Thursday evenings at the Branigan Library (200 E. Picacho) in the Roadrunner Room from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. See the complete list of speakers and Lush and Lean dates at www.las-cruces.org/WaterConservation or www.facebook.com/cityoflascruces (you don’t need a Facebook account to view this page).
You can reach Las Cruces Utilities at 528-3500 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Las Cruces Utilities provides GAS – WATER – WASTEWATER – SOLID WASTE services to approximately 100,000 Las Cruces residents and businesses.
Suzanne Michaels provides this content on behalf of Las Cruces Utilities