Understanding Soil Organic Matter and Carbon Content

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a crucial component of healthy soil, playing a significant role in plant health care (PHC) and environmental sustainability. Central to SOM is carbon, a fundamental element that impacts soil structure, fertility, and the ability to support plant growth. This article delves into the components of soil organic matter, the role of carbon, and how understanding these elements can enhance soil management practices.

What is Soil Organic Matter?

Soil organic matter consists of a complex mixture of organic compounds, including decomposing plant and animal residues, living soil organisms, and substances synthesized by soil microbes. It can be broadly divided into three categories:

• Fresh Residues: Recently added plant and animal material that is in the initial stages of decomposition.
• Active Fraction: Organic matter that is in various stages of decomposition, providing a steady release of nutrients.
• Humus: Highly decomposed organic material that is stable and contributes to soil structure and water-holding capacity.

The Role of Carbon in Soil Organic Matter

Carbon is the backbone of soil organic matter. It enters the soil through plant photosynthesis, where carbon dioxide (CO₂) is converted into organic compounds. These compounds are then deposited into the soil through plant residues, root exudates, and microbial activity. Here are some key roles carbon plays in soil organic matter:

• Soil Structure: Carbon-rich organic matter improves soil structure by promoting the formation of soil aggregates, enhancing soil porosity and aeration, facilitating root growth and water infiltration.
• Nutrient Supply: As organic matter decomposes, it releases essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, making them available for plant uptake.
• Water Retention: Organic matter increases the soil’s ability to retain water, reducing the need for irrigation and improving drought resilience.
• Microbial Activity: Carbon serves as an energy source for soil microbes, which play a vital role in nutrient cycling and the decomposition of organic matter.

Measuring Soil Carbon Content

Understanding the carbon content of your soil can inform better soil management practices. Soil carbon content is typically measured in two forms:

• Total Organic Carbon (TOC): Represents the total amount of carbon in organic compounds within the soil.
• Active Carbon: Refers to the portion of organic carbon that is readily available for microbial activity and nutrient cycling.

Soil tests can determine the levels of TOC and active carbon, providing insights into soil health and fertility.

The Stability Advantage of Mirimichi Green Soil Amendments

Mirimichi Green soil amendments are formulated with highly stable and mature organic matter that functions similarly to humus. Unlike traditional composts, which often contain a higher proportion of active and less stable organic fractions, the organic matter in Mirimichi Green products remains stable, enhancing long-term soil structure, water retention, and nutrient cycling. This humus-like stability allows it to perform consistently over time, providing benefits that surpass typical compost applications by reducing nutrient loss and supporting resilient, healthy plants.

Enhancing Soil Carbon Content for Plant Health Care (PHC)

Increasing the carbon content in your soil can lead to healthier, more resilient plants. Here are some strategies to enhance soil carbon specifically for PHC:

• Aeration: Regularly aerating soil improves structure, allowing organic matter and carbon to penetrate deeper.
• Topdressing: Applying a thin layer of compost or organic matter to the soil surface can gradually increase soil carbon content.
• Proper Mowing Practices: Leaving grass clippings on the soil after mowing (grasscycling) adds organic matter and nutrients back into the soil.
• Organic Fertilizers: Using organic fertilizers instead of synthetic ones can increase soil organic matter and carbon content over time.
• Minimizing Chemical Use: Reducing the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides helps maintain a healthy soil microbiome, which is essential for organic matter decomposition and carbon cycling.
• Mulching: Applying mulch around trees and flower beds helps retain soil moisture, regulate temperature, and adds organic matter as it decomposes.
• Overseeding: Planting additional seeds can improve plant density, leading to increased organic matter input from roots and plant residues.

Why it Matters

Understanding the role of carbon in soil organic matter is essential for effective plant health care (PHC). By focusing on increasing soil carbon through sustainable practices—and leveraging the stability benefits of Mirimichi Green soil amendments—we can enhance soil health, improve plant quality, and contribute to environmental sustainability. Whether maintaining a residential landscape or managing a larger green space, integrating strategies to boost soil carbon with mature, stable organic inputs can yield significant benefits for your plants and the broader environment.

Remediating Salt in Soils Due to Hurricanes and Storm Surge

CarbonizPN: The Ultimate Solution for Hurricane-Induced Salt Damage

When hurricanes hit, the resulting storm surge and wind-driven saltwater can wreak havoc on soils across various environments. The salt left behind can affect soil composition, damage vegetation, and complicate recovery efforts. CarbonizPN, a soil amendment containing biochar and mature compost, offers a highly effective solution to mitigate these effects, promoting soil health and aiding plant recovery. Below, we explore how CarbonizPN can help tackle the challenges posed by saltwater damage following a hurricane.

The Impact of Saltwater on Soil and Vegetation

1. Soil Salinization and Structure
   Salt from hurricane storm surges leads to soil salinization, which reduces microbial activity and compromises soil structure. This, in turn, hinders plant growth. The biochar component in CarbonizPN helps retain moisture and bind salts, while the compost improves organic matter, fostering microbial life and nutrient cycling to aid in salt recovery.
2. Dehydration and Nutrient Blockage
   Saltwater exposure can cause dehydration in grass and turf, leading to wilting, browning, and even death. High salt concentrations in the soil can also inhibit nutrient uptake, hampering recovery. The biochar in CarbonizPN binds salt ions, and the compost provides the essential nutrients to jump-start new growth.
3. Water Retention and Root Stress
   Saltwater reduces the soil’s ability to retain water, creating osmotic stress on plant roots. Biochar in CarbonizPN improves water retention while simultaneously lowering salt concentration. This allows roots to access fresh water more easily, speeding up recovery.
4. Soil Compaction
   Salt can cause soil particles to bond more tightly, leading to compaction, which reduces root penetration and aeration. CarbonizPN loosens compacted soil with biochar, improving oxygen flow, while compost adds organic matter, enhancing soil structure for better root development.

Applications for Sports Turf and Golf Courses

1. Turfgrass Resilience
   Warm-season grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia are generally more resilient to salt than cool-season grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass. Applying CarbonizPN to any type of turf helps neutralize salt damage, reducing toxicity with biochar and improving root recovery with compost.
2. Turf Playability and Durability
   Saltwater exposure weakens turf durability, creating patchy, dead spots. CarbonizPN rehabilitates turf by reducing salt levels, enhancing soil structure, and encouraging healthy grass regrowth, which restores surface quality and playability.
3. Irrigation Strategies
   Freshwater irrigation can flush out salts, but CarbonizPN accelerates this process by enhancing soil drainage. Biochar improves water retention, making irrigation more effective, and reducing the need for excessive watering.

Addressing Salt Runoff from Roadways

1. Vegetation Impact
   Saltwater runoff from flooded roadways can increase soil salinity in adjacent lawns, parks, and golf courses. Applying CarbonizPN along road edges and affected areas helps reduce salt levels and promote soil health. Biochar absorbs salts, preventing further spread, while compost restores nutrient balance.
2. Drainage Solutions
   Combining effective drainage systems with CarbonizPN application offers a robust solution for mitigating salt damage. Biochar enhances drainage, while compost improves water retention, facilitating faster salt removal and supporting vegetation recovery.

Recovery for Residential Lawns

1. Signs of Salt Damage
   Residential lawns impacted by saltwater show signs of browning, wilting, and poor growth. CarbonizPN helps restore balance by binding salts and encouraging microbial activity, promoting faster recovery of grasses such as fescue, ryegrass, and bluegrass.
2. Homeowner Recovery Steps
   Homeowners can rehabilitate salt-affected lawns by applying CarbonizPN, which reduces salt buildup, improves water retention, and restores nutrient levels. Consistent watering with fresh water and CarbonizPN will expedite lawn recovery.

Mitigation and Recovery Strategies for Parks & Public Spaces

1. Rehabilitation in Parks
   Saltwater exposure depletes soil fertility and stresses plants in public green spaces. The combination of biochar and compost in CarbonizPN helps restore soil health, neutralize salts, and encourage plant recovery, making maintenance efforts more manageable post-hurricane.
2. Tree and Shrub Recovery
   Trees and shrubs may experience leaf burn and root damage due to salt exposure. Applying CarbonizPN around their bases helps improve soil structure, promotes deeper root recovery, and binds salts, aiding long-term recovery.

Conclusion

CarbonizPN offers a comprehensive solution for mitigating the harmful effects of saltwater on soils and vegetation in hurricane-affected areas. Its unique combination of biochar and compost binds salts, improves water retention, restores microbial activity, and promotes root development across various landscapes—from residential lawns to sports fields and parks. Whether as a preventive measure or a post-storm recovery tool, CarbonizPN is your go-to soil amendment for long-term soil health and plant vitality.

For more information on how CarbonizPN can help protect your soil and landscape, contact Mirimichi Green.

Understanding USDA Certified Biobased Products: What It Means and Why It Matters

In today’s world, more consumers are becoming conscious of the environmental impact of the products they use. This shift towards sustainability is driving the demand for biobased products—those derived from plants and other renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry materials. The USDA Certified Biobased Product label is a reliable indicator that a product meets strict standards for renewable content, offering assurance of its environmental benefits.

What Is a USDA Certified Biobased Product?

The USDA Certified Biobased Product label is part of the BioPreferred Program managed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This program was established to increase the purchase and use of biobased products. To earn this certification, products must undergo rigorous testing to determine the percentage of renewable content. Products that meet or exceed the minimum biobased content standards are granted the certification.

Benefits of Using USDA Certified Biobased Products

1. Environmental Impact: Biobased products help reduce our reliance on non-renewable resources such as petroleum. By choosing these products, consumers support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.
2. Economic Support for Rural Communities: The production of biobased products stimulates economic development in rural areas by creating jobs and supporting farmers and producers who supply the renewable materials.
3. Improved Indoor Air Quality: Many biobased products emit fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs), contributing to better indoor air quality and a healthier living environment.
4. Reduced Waste: Biobased products are often biodegradable or compostable, which helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.

Why Consumers Should Look for the USDA Certified Biobased Label

Consumers seeking to make environmentally responsible choices should look for the USDA Certified Biobased Product label. This certification provides transparency and trust, ensuring that the product meets high standards for renewable content and contributes to a sustainable future. Additionally, using certified products supports the BioPreferred Program’s mission to reduce our dependence on non-renewable resources and foster the development of the biobased economy.

Mirimichi Green’s Commitment to Sustainability

At Mirimichi Green, we are proud to offer products that align with our commitment to sustainability. Our Premium Biochar, a cornerstone of many of our formulations, is a USDA Certified Biobased Product. This certification guarantees that our biochar is derived from renewable sources and meets the highest standards for biobased content.

All Mirimichi Green products containing biochar or micronized carbon feature our Premium Biochar. This inclusion not only enhances the performance of our products but also ensures that they contribute positively to environmental sustainability. By incorporating USDA Certified Biobased components, we provide our customers with effective, eco-friendly solutions for maintaining healthy and beautiful landscapes.

Conclusion

The USDA Certified Biobased Product label is a mark of sustainability and environmental responsibility. By choosing products with this certification, consumers can be confident in their contribution to a greener future. At Mirimichi Green, we are dedicated to providing top-quality, sustainable products that meet these rigorous standards. Our USDA Certified Premium Biochar is a testament to this commitment, ensuring that every product we offer supports a healthier planet.

Choose Mirimichi Green for your landscaping needs and join us in making a positive impact on the environment.

By highlighting the importance of the USDA Certified Biobased Product label and showcasing Mirimichi Green’s dedication to sustainability, this blog post aims to educate consumers and encourage them to make informed, environmentally responsible choices.

2024 USDA Hardiness Zone Changes

In November of 2023, the USDA updated its plant hardiness zone map for the first time since 2012 – not surprisingly, lots of places are warmer than they used to be.
A full 63% of Mirimichi Green customers saw a half-zone change or more. Mirimichi Green produced a guide to help our users in updated USDA Hardiness Zones.

How do I know if my USDA Hardiness Zone changed?

You can search the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map by zip code to see if your area has changed since 2012.

The winner of our guessing game is…