The Madison River Foundation and Madison Conservation District will be hosting the Madison Watershed Speaker…
Soil Your Undies… For Soil Health
In 2023 the Montana Legislature designated the first week of April as “Soil Health Week.” Soils are fundamental for all life on Earth. Healthy soils give us clean air and water, productive grazing lands, diverse wildlife, and charming landscapes. Soil does all of this by performing five essential functions: Regulating Water, Filtering and Buffering Potential Pollutants, Providing Physical Stability and Support, Cycling Nutrients, Sustaining Plant and Animal Life.
So how do we know if our soil needs help? One fun, low-cost way to test your soils health is by participating in the ‘Soil Your Undies Challenge.’
The ‘Soil Your Undies Challenge’ is a program that was originally created by the Oregon Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) office, where they challenged citizens to bury a pair of 100% cotton underwear to test the health of their soil.
Healthy soil contains billions of microbes that consume organic material (in this case, cotton underwear). Just one teaspoon of healthy soil contains more microbes than there are people on the planet. In addition to chowing down on organic matter like cotton, microbes help soil resist erosion, cycle nutrients, and store water.
How does it work? Just bury a pair of cotton underwear and dig the undies back up after at least 60 days. The more the underwear is deteriorated, the healthier your soil! It’s the quick and dirty way to test microbial activity in your soil. For more information on the ‘Soil Your Undies’ program, contact us at maia@madisoncd.org or (406) 682-3181 or check out this page on our website!
If the undies are still intact, you might consider these tips for improving your soil…
Keep it Covered: Soil cover can be maximized by planting cover crops and leaving plant residues on the soil year-round. This protects soil form eroding and can provide grazing opportunities for wildlife and livestock.
Maximize Living Roots: Keep living roots in the soil for as long as possible to increase microbial activity. Soil microbes feed on sugars that leak from plants roots. Plant root systems also provide support for soil and can help prevent erosion. When thinking about what to plant, consider perennials to annuals because they often have a deeper root system.
Maximize Biodiversity: Increasing the variety of plants and animals in a given area promotes nutrient availability. It also helps prevent disease and pests.
Do Not Disturb: Undisturbed root systems are the main contributor to increased levels of organic matter in the soil and the building of soil root structure. Consider using tools to minimize disturbance when planting, such as a broadfork.
If you are interested in a more in-depth analysis of your soil’s fertility and general health, you can also collect soil samples for lab analysis. MSU Extension has helpful written guides that provide advice for collecting soil samples, identifying which parameters you want analyzed and interpreting results from your lab. For access to these resources and more, visit: https://landresources.montana.edu/soilfertility/soilscoop/.
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