The Urban Permaculture Farm Magazine
For 
The Last Word!
Mark Highland the Organic Mechanic's Top 10 methods to build healthy soils
- Compost! Make compost from garden debris / kitchen scraps and carbon (leaves, paper, straw)
- Use compost as mulch 2x / year. 1"-2" in spring and again in fall - this builds soil organic matter.
- Cover crops - leaving green understory plants vs. cover cropping for nutrients.
- Compost tea. Brewed aerobically, research has shown it to improve plant health and disease resistance.
- Stop tilling! Tilling destroys soil structure. Double dig new beds instead.
- Raised beds warm up earlier in spring, created from scratch you have control over growing medium.
- No pesticides, chemicals that harm soil flora and fauna and beneficial insects.
- Harvest rainwater to use in your garden - replenish the local water table and encourage local soil biota.
- Remineralize - Adding ground rock dusts, paramagnetic or otherwise, adds key micronutrients and essential elements vital to healthy plants.
- Plant more plants! The annual growth cycle adds beneficial organic matter to soils as roots decompose.
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An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.
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