To me, dirt play is just pure fun. (Those are my daughters and their friend in the opening photo.) Just look at all those soil critters!
As we girls get back to playing in the dirt for the season, another compost pile gets ‘flipped’ to ready the area for planting. Nutrients are all there and accounted for. Moisture level is perfect — not too wet, not too dry, juuuuust right. No additional inputs are necessary via herbicides or fertilizers. It’s all right there, bio-ready. Ready for plants or seeds.
There are dozens of 7-to-8-inch long wriggly earthworms and several other decomposers like the the giant ox beetle grub. This is a sign of healthy soil and though I don’t see them I know they’re there: trillions of other living beings like fungi, bacteria, nematodes. They are doing the heavy lifting free of charge. They guarantee the successful growing seasons.
Lasagna gardening or, as I like to call it, lazy gardening, is my way. Why bring the compost to the plant when you can plant right into the compost?
Earth — the soil under my dirty toes — is alive. The only ‘tools’ needed to work it are a pitchfork or a screwdriver or perhaps a dull-bladed shovel. Why destroy what is so perfectly designed by Mother Nature with mechanical methods? With muscle, sweat and a few calories, I gently and purposefully turn the soil, enriching it with oxygen and carefully removing competing plants (grasses, etc.) from within. I know what I plant will do just fine without me, converting minerals in the soil into nutrients for my body.
A little love put by me into the Earth is in turn a whole lot of love put right back into me.
♣
Coming soon! A composting-building and bed-layering exercise.
DirtNKids Blog 
Wow I agree your daughters brave! I can deal with red wiggler composting but not grubs. 😀
LikeLike
Grubs can be destructive, but the ox beetle larva can chomp through decaying wood and mulch. A gardener’s friend if there ever was one! Thanks for coming by to comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looking forward to your long post, though the grub is a bit ugly, despite his very important job description! I think I would squeal a bit if I reached in and pulled him out unexpectedly 😊
LikeLike
A face only a mother could love.
LikeLike
When you said your daughter knew all about ox beetle grub, it sounded a lot better than the reality of that big, fat, gross thing. Shudder. You’re raising warriors!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! Yes. Don’t hate him because he’s not cute. But just like Kim, Baby’s got BACK!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Since you’re considering a compost pile, you may be interested in my latest post. Let me know if you have any questions, Peg!
LikeLike
I long to dig my hands into the soil; until then, I live vicariously through you. xo
Thank you for sharing.
LikeLike
Just like the election season and the state of Iowa, it’s good to be in a planting zone that kicks off the season for the entire US of A.
LikeLike