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Building Your Soil

A Guide to Building Sustainable Garden Soil in the

Northwest Territories

Ecology North

2017

Building Your Soil: A Guide to Building Sustainable Garden Soil in the


Written by: Dylan Cook

Ecology North, 2017

5013 51 Street

Yellowknife, NT X1A 1S5

http://ecologynorth.ca/

This project was funded by The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment,

Government of the Northwest Territories.

The information presented in this document is meant to encourage

sustainable community and backyard gardening in communities of the

Northwest Territories. It is meant to be a guide and a reference document,

to be used along with the Soil Recipes Booklet to create garden soil from

locally sourced materials.

This is by no means a comprehensive guide. For more information on

building soil, soil health and management, and gardening, contact Ecology

North, or refer to the end of this report for some helpful suggested reading

and a list of resources that were used in compiling this information.

Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 Addressing the Problem .................................................................................................................. 2

Soils in the NWT .............................................................................................................................. 3

Building Your Soil ......................................................................................................... 4

Environmental Factors – Air, Water, Temperature, and pH ........................................... 5 Air .................................................................................................................................................... 5

Water .............................................................................................................................................. 5

Temperature ................................................................................................................................... 5

pH .................................................................................................................................................... 6

The Living Soil .............................................................................................................. 7 What Do Microbes Need? ............................................................................................................... 7

What Lives in Healthy Soil? ............................................................................................................. 8

Microbes and Nutrients .................................................................................................................. 9

Natural Controls .............................................................................................................................. 9

The Mineral Component ............................................................................................ 10 Testing Your Texture ..................................................................................................................... 10

Getting the Right Mix .................................................................................................................... 12

The Organic Component ............................................................................................. 13 The Compost ................................................................................................................................. 14

Sourcing Organics in the NWT .................................................................................... 15 Woodchips, Bark, Twigs, and Sawdust ...................................................................................... 15

Deciduous Forest Litter ............................................................................................................. 16

Coniferous Forest Litter ............................................................................................................. 16

Fish Waste ................................................................................................................................. 17

Hair ........................................................................................................................................... 17

Household Compost .................................................................................................................. 18

Garden/Yard Waste .................................................................................................................. 18

Seaweed and Aquatic Plants ..................................................................................................... 19

Wood Ash .................................................................................................................................. 19

Peat ........................................................................................................................................... 21

Importance of Peatlands ........................................................................................................... 22

Putting It All Together ................................................................................................ 23 Nutrients ....................................................................................................................................... 24

Testing Your Soil ............................................................................................................................ 24

Fertilizing ....................................................................................................................................... 25

Summary ................................................................................................................... 26

Suggested Reading ..................................................................................................... 27

Resources Used .......................................................................................................... 28

Picture Credits ........................................................................................................... 32

1

Building Your Soil

A Guide to Building Sustainable Garden Soil in the


Introduction

Most communities in the NWT require some amendment to their soil in order to grow

productive crops. Remote communities trying to grow food in community and backyard

gardens are faced with the problem of having very limited access to good quality soil.

This is especially the case in the Tlicho communities in the Canadian Shield geologic

region, where soil is particularly thin and low in essential nutrients. Importing large

quantities of soil for gardening is an

expensive and inefficient solution.

Building on the existing soil in a way

that promotes soil fertility and soil life

can allow us to grow good food and

reduce dependencies on outside

resources. Some communities have

even started creating soil in larger

batches to share within the

community. We want to encourage

this, and to work toward finding easy,

sustainable alternatives to importing

soil into our gardens.

(1) Community garden in Gameti, NT.

Northern gardening is a challenge that often

takes a community effort. Making healthy

soil can also be done as a community.

The information presented

in this report is meant to

serve as a guide for building

your own soil in the NWT.

2

Sustainable Soil Practices

Sourcing materials locally has a number of benefits.

• Nutrients in the food you grow come from the materials you put in your soil,

and keeping that cycle close to home is good practice from a sustainability

perspective.

• Microbial communities can be very specifically adapted to small geographic

areas, especially in the North where changes in latitude result in substantial

variation in climate conditions.

• If all material comes from nearby, it helps to ensure the microbiology of the

soil is well suited to the micro‐environmental conditions of your garden.

• While many areas of the NWT have very little soil, the raw materials needed

are all here. By tapping into local resources, we can build healthy soil for the

northern garden. If the materials are harvested responsibly, we can do this

sustainably.

Addressing the Problem:

Transporting soil from the south is

often the main approach used to

address poor soil conditions in the

North. However, while simple, this

solution has several problems

associated with it. Transporting

small bags of garden soil north can

be very expensive. Some remote

communities have to wait until

winter to bring in large amounts of

soil on winter roads. Transporting

unsterilized soil may also introduce

foreign pests and diseases to the

North. At the very least, this could

mean we will have a living soil

community that is not suited to the specific environmental situation that we move it

into – not ideally suited to live in a northern garden. It could also mean introducing

bacterial and fungal diseases, insect pests, chemical contaminants, and causing more

problems for food producers in the North.

At best, transporting garden soil is an expensive, energy‐intensive fix.

At worst, it could be detrimental to local ecosystems.

At any rate, it is not very sustainable.

(2) Weledeh School Garden, Yellowknife.

Growing good food starts with the soil.

3

Boreal Cordillera

Taiga Cordillera

Tundra Cordillera Southern Arctic

Taiga

Plains

Taiga

Shield

Yellowknife

Hay River

Fort Smith

Inuvik

(3) Ecoregions of the

NWT:

The largest ecological

regions in the NWT are the

Taiga Plains and Taiga

Shield. Within these regions

soil types vary considerably.

Soil formation has been

heavily affected across the

NWT by rivers, lakes, and

past glaciation.

Soils in the NWT:

Soils in the NWT are generally poor quality soil for growing food crops. Many of the

plants that grow naturally here are adapted to harsh winters, short growing seasons,

and thin, acidic soil. Soil development is a slow process and in the NWT this process has

been slowed further by the cold northern climate. Most soil deposits have only been

developing since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the last ice age (about 10 000

years ago). Despite this, there are actually a fair variety of soil types on the regional

scale in the NWT.

Generally, the best soil for agriculture is located in southern areas of the Taiga Plains

ecoregion, where permafrost is discontinuous and more well‐developed soil types like

greysols and luvisols are more common. In the Mackenzie Valley, up through the

northern Taiga Plains region, common soil types include brunisols (well‐drained, poorly

developed soils), greysols (soil periodically saturated during formation), fibrisols

(relatively undecomposed organic material), and mesisols (partly decomposed organic

material), all subject to permafrost to some extent. Sand, gravel and fine glacial till are

common and there are also large deposits of organic soil, mostly associated with river

floodplains. Areas with acidic clayey soils tend to be low in many essential nutrients, but

many areas in the Mackenzie River basin are rich in both calcium and phosphorus, which

are both incredibly important for plants.

Taiga Shield soils are mostly brunisols formed on sandy glacial till deposits, and bedrock

is often close to the surface. North of Yellowknife all soil types are subject to permafrost.

Common soil types include organic soils and clay‐based soils formed in association with

peatlands and lakes. In most areas of the NWT, permafrost and soil acidity make it very

difficult to grow classic vegetable and fruit garden crops.

4

Building Your Soil

Building your garden soil is like baking a cake; you just need the right

ingredients together in the right proportions.

Getting the right mix is the first crucial step.

The following pages contain information on the factors that should be

considered when building your soil:

• Environmental Factors

• The Living Component

• The Mineral Component

• The Organic Component

There is also a list of some materials

available locally in many areas of the

NWT that can be incorporated into

local garden soil recipes.

*Example soil recipes can be found in our Soil Recipes booklet.

Soil is made up of four

main components:

Mineral Material,

Organic Material,

Air and

Water.

(4) In many areas where soil is very thin and rocky,

raised beds may be the best option.

Building soil from scratch is a process

that takes thousands of years of erosion

of base materials and lots of biological

activity – the rise and fall of mountains

and forests, so to speak. Soils in the

NWT are generally underdeveloped, and

are still going through this process. Since

we do not have time to wait, we need to

build our soil some other way if we are

going to feed ourselves sustainably.

5

Environmental Factors – Air, Water, Temperature, and pH

The physical environment of your soil greatly affects the activity of soil microorganisms.

It also affects the decomposition of organic material, as well as nutrient uptake and

growth of plants. Keeping your soil loose and aerated, keeping it moist, feeding it

organic material, and protecting it from the cold in the winter by insulating your garden

with mulch and snow – these are all good ways to manage the physical factors affecting

your soil.

(5) Plant roots need loose, moist, aerated soil.

Air:

Soil needs to have lots of airspaces. Many helpful microbes in the soil need oxygen to

survive and your plant roots need air as well. Soil with good texture and lots of organic

matter will naturally have lots space for air, unless it is heavily compacted. Avoid walking

unnecessarily on the garden to avoid compacting the soil.

Water:

Plants need a lot of water in the soil. It is necessary for growth and energy production,

and also for taking in nutrients through their roots. Microbes in the soil also need water,

so even before the soil is put into the garden it needs to be kept moist. However,

overwatering can flush nutrients, especially nitrogen, out of the soil.

Temperature:

Soil temperature in the North can be difficult to manage due the cold winters, however

you can grow food here. Many insect pests aren’t able to survive the winter in the NWT,

which is good for the northern gardener. Also, the long day length partly makes up for

short growing seasons. Soil microbes go dormant in the winter and then become active

when the soil warms up in the spring. Soil heats up when the organic matter starts to

decompose. If you make soil in large batches, you can maintain higher temperatures

within large piles or windrows than in small backyard composter batches, and the soil

will be more likely to continue “working” through the winter.

6

pH:

pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity in your soil. It is a scale from 0 (very acidic) to

14 (very alkaline or basic), with 7 being neutral (neither acidic or basic). pH essentially

tells you what the chemical environment is like in your soil, and this affects a variety of

things in the soil and in the plants. Bacteria and fungi are the living components of the

soil that break down complex chemical compounds in organic matter into elements that

plants can use. These organisms all have a range of pH in which they can function

properly. Not surprisingly, the range at which these organisms can thrive, about 5.5 – 7,

tends to line up with the pH range ideal for plant growth.

Testing pH:

pH can vary with moisture, temperature, and biological activity over the course of a

season. It can also change through the years as you build up the organic component of

your soil. It is good to know whether you have very acidic or basic soil. A laboratory test

or do‐it‐yourself test kit will tell you the pH of your soil with accuracy. There are also a

variety of tests you can do very quickly to give you an idea of the approximate pH of

your soil.

Red cabbage test: Boiled red cabbage juice has a neutral pH and will change colour if its

pH changes. Add a few spoonfuls of soil to a cup of red cabbage juice;

• If it does not change colour, the soil is likely near neutral.

• If it turns bright pink, the soil is likely very basic.

• If it turns blue or green, the soil is likely very acidic.

Fizz test: Take two cups of soil from your garden in separate containers. In the first

container, add distilled water to make the soil muddy, and then add some baking soda.

Then pour some vinegar into the dry sample. Very acidic soil (less than pH 5.0) will fizz if

you sprinkle baking soda on it, because baking soda is very basic. Very basic soil (greater

than pH 7.5) will fizz if you pour some vinegar on it, because vinegar is very acidic.

Adjusting Soil pH:

Soil that is rich in organic matter will slowly shift toward a neutral pH over time. The short

term solution to very high or very low pH is just to add materials that raise or lower pH:

⇑ Wood ash will raise soil pH if soil is acidic.

⇓ Sulphur will lower soil pH if soil is basic.

Adding too much of these materials can drastically change your pH and can be very

stressful on the life in your soil. Use sparingly if at all – start with small amounts of wood

ash or sulphur and monitor your soil pH carefully throughout the process.

14 0 7 Ideal Soil pH 5.5‐7.0

7

The Living Soil

Healthy soil is required for growing good, healthy, nutrient rich food. A healthy soil is

very much alive, and needs all the things that living things need: air, water, warmth, and

food. The organisms living in your garden, the bacteria, the fungi, the tiny nematode

worms, these are what nurture and support your plants. These are the microscopic

creatures responsible for giving your plants access to the nutrients in the soil, for

aerating the soil so your plant roots can breathe, for repelling pests and staving off

diseases. These are the creatures that build soil. Building healthy garden soil is as much

about creating good habitat for a billion microbes as it is about adding the correct

amount of nutrients and water. Maintaining the soil you make should focus on

maintaining your living soil.

What Do Microbes Need?

Water – All soil organisms need water, keep your soil moist.

This means paying attention to your soil, feeling it with

your hands and adding water as needed, whether it is

sitting in a pile or spread out in the garden.

Organic material – Microbes need to eat. Feed them by adding organic material

(like compost) to the top 10‐15cm of your garden once or

twice a year. Organic material also helps create air spaces,

hold water, and resist compaction. Very important. A little bit

of ground oatmeal, bran, dried fish, or molasses can also be

added to soil to boost fungal and bacterial growth.

Warmth – If left to their own devices, plants naturally create a layer of mulch

that insulates the soil and helps to retain water. Adding a layer of

mulch to your garden in the fall will help it to retain moisture and

avoid washing out in the spring. This also promotes microbes in the

soil.

Mounding soil in a large heap allows the microbes to heat up the soil

and work more efficiently to break down organic material. The pile

should be turned or mixed every 2 – 4 weeks in the summer to prevent

it from overheating.

Minimal disturbance – Avoid compacting the soil, and also avoid excessive tilling.

Roots, soil animals, and decaying organic matter naturally

create great soil structure, and tilling up the garden only

slows down this process. If you have a pile, don’t turn it

too frequently; let the microbes heat up the soil and do

their work.

8

Bacteria and Archaea:

Bacteria and archaea are very simple, single‐celled organisms that live in all but the

deadest of soils. They are extremely diverse in form and function. Some live in the top

10‐15cm of soil. These are aerobic species, which means they need air to survive.

Some do not need air and these are called anaerobes. They can live further down in

the soil. Some bacteria fix nitrogen, which means they take nitrogen from the

atmosphere and convert it to a soluble form that plants can then use. Many consume

organic matter and when they die, contribute to it. While some species can be

detrimental to crops, the vast majority are crucial to maintaining healthy plants.

Fungi:

Fungi in soil are a strange and fascinating group of organisms that include lichens,

moulds, and networks of fibres in the soil. Fungi are very important to soil for several

reasons. In healthy soil they create vast networks of hyphae (“root” strands) through

the soil, weaving through organic matter, breaking minerals free from rocks, and

connecting the roots of plants. Fungi are responsible for releasing minerals like

phosphorus from rock that would otherwise be inaccessible to plants. They provide

structural support for the soil, compete with disease causing organisms, and help to

break down decaying organic matter. Fungi are needed to break down tough woody

materials that other soil microbes have difficulty digesting. The fungi that form

networks between the plant roots provide those plants with minerals, nitrogen, and

water. The plants connected through the network can essentially share nutrients and

communicate, warning each other of threats like pests and disease so that other

plants can prepare defences. Maintaining these networks can help keep your plants

healthy, which is why it is important not to over‐till your garden.

Protists, Microscopic Animals, and Insects:

These are the larger, more mechanical components of the soil community. Insects, like

ants and beetle larvae, and other animals like sow bugs, worms and nematodes break

down organic material by basically chewing it up, which greatly speeds up the

decomposition process. They also help to aerate the soil as they dig their way through

the soil and leaf litter creating air spaces. Protists are single‐celled microbes that act

more like miniature animals than bacteria, archaea or fungi. They feed on bacteria and

help to digest the nutrients that the bacteria gather from organic matter and make it

available for uptake by plants.

What Lives in Healthy Soil?

9

(7) Soil life is so important to the health of plants in the garden. Many of the

best practices for building soil, like including lots of organic matter, keeping it

moist and aerated, mulching, and avoiding soil compaction, are all great ways

to cultivate a healthy microbial ecosystem that can support your plants.

Microbes and Nutrients:

Bacteria, archaea, and fungi are useful in breaking down the

minerals and nutrients out of the organic material, out of the

mineral soil and rock, and locking these nutrients up inside

their bodies. This is called nutrient immobilization. When

protists and other animals eat the bacteria, archaea,

and fungi, they release these stored nutrients

back into the root zone for plants to use. This is

called nutrient mineralization. Both of these

processes are important for healthy garden soil.

It is important to build soil that supports a

diversity of organisms, so that the processes that

feed your plants and maintain their health are all

in place.

Natural Controls:

Some bacteria, fungi, insects and protists can cause diseases in plants or are notorious

garden pests. The most effective natural control of these hazards is not in the plants

themselves but in the living soil, and the organisms that eat and compete with the pests.

These are the organisms that also support the health of your plants and allow them to

resist succumbing to these threats. Sustaining a diverse community of soil organisms is a

great way to ensure that the natural controls of pests and disease are present in your

garden.

(6) Microorganisms and soil life interact in the

soil and make nutrients available to plants.

N

P

K

10

The Mineral Component

Soil is mostly made up of minerals. This is what makes up most of the structure of the

soil. Ideally, the mineral component of a well‐developed soil should make up about 90%

of the solid portion of your soil. The rest should be made up of organic material.

Structure and texture of soil is very important – plants prefer about half of soil to be air

and water. Smaller groupings of soil particles are preferable to large hard clumps or

clods, because nutrients and water are more accessible to plant roots in loose, fine‐

grained soil.

Testing Your Texture:

Mineral soil is classified by its texture by comparing the amount of soil grains of

different sizes. NWT soils range from nearly pure sand to sandy loam to clay to pure

organic soils. The best way to learn what type of soil you have is to go out and feel it

between your fingers. There are two simple tests you can do with just your hands to tell

what type of soil you have: the grain test and the squeeze test.

• Clays are very fine grains (less than 0.002mm – invisible to the naked eye).

o Grain Test: If you pick up pure clay and rub it between your fingers,

you should not be able to feel any individual grains, and it may stain

your skin as well. It also tends to be sticky when wet.

o Squeeze Test: Pick up a moist handful and squeeze it between your

fingers. If it squeezes out between your fingers in ribbons that do not

crumble, there is likely a lot of clay in your soil.

• Silt is a slightly larger grain (0.002‐0.05mm).

o Grain Test: You should be able to feel the grains and the grittiness of

silt when you run it between your fingers. If you know what sand feels

like in your fingers that helps because silt is less gritty than sand. The

squeeze test is a better test of the silt content of your soil.

o Squeeze Test: Just like clay, silt will come out from between your

fingers in ribbons, but the ribbons will crumble away and won’t hold

their shape.

• Sand grains are easily visible to the naked eye (0.05‐2mm) – anything that

could be called a grain that is larger than 2mm in diameter is classified as

gravel. Gravelly soil either experiences a lot of disturbance or is under

developed.

o Grain Test: Very gritty and individual grains can be separated easily.

o Squeeze Test: Sand will crumble out from between your fingers

without forming ribbons.

If your soil contains a lot of organic material already, it can be difficult to judge your

soil texture based on these simple tests. A settling test can be done fairly simply as

well and it can give you a more accurate breakdown of the different parts of your soil.

11

The Settling Test (from Nauta 2012)

You’ll need:

• A flat‐bottomed jar,

with a lid

• Water

• Dish soap

• Soil

1. First, you’ll need some soil from

your garden, dig down about

15cm, and scoop up enough to fill

the jar to about 1/3 full.

2. Remove any sticks or rocks and break

up clods.

3. Add some dish soap and fill the rest of

the jar with water, leaving a few

centimetres of open space at the top.

4. Cover and shake well for at least 10

minutes.

5. Set it down carefully some place where

it can sit undisturbed for the next 24

hours. In that time all the different parts

of the soil should settle out in layers –

first the sand, then silt, then clay, and

lastly the organic matter.

6. Now you should be able to see what

your soil is made of, and the relative

proportions of sand, silt, clay and

organic matter it contains. You can

even measure them on the side of

the jar to calculate percentages and

classify your soil using this triangle

chart.

(8) Using the soil texture triangle ‐ If you want to

classify your soil using the triangle, take the

percentages of solid material taken up by sand, silt

and clay, and multiply them by 1.19 (sand), 0.87 (silt),

and 0.94 (clay), respectively. This will give you the

relative weight of the different parts of your soil, and

you can use these in the triangle.

Organic Matter

Clay

Silt

Sand

12

Getting the Right Mix:

A well‐balanced soil has a fairly even mix of sand, silt

and clay. Loam is a mix of sand, clay and silt – plants

love loam. It is helpful to know what you are starting

out with but don’t get too hung up on whether or

not you have sandy loam or loamy sand. If your

mineral soil is mostly clay or mostly sand, it is going

to take more effort and more time to build it into a

healthy, productive soil, and that is good to know.

The important thing is that you have a

good amount of base material on

which to build. Your main goal from

this point on should be to get some life

into your soil, and that is where the

organic component comes into play.

When collecting sand, clay and silt for your soil, try to find areas where there is already

some dark organic material already mixed in, as it will save you some of the hassle of

creating that yourself. Even in regions with very little soil, stream banks and the shores

of shallow lakes are good places to look.

Clay in the Dirt:

Many areas of the NWT have soils that

are low in clay. Clays are important for

retaining mineral nutrients in the soil, but

if what you have is sand, use sand. A

good mix of clay and sand is best but use

what is available to you. Humus is organic

material that has been broken down to

the point where it is very resistant to

degrading further. It also happens to be

good for retaining water and trapping

nutrients. If your soil is low in clay you

may want to add more materials that

contain humus to your mix, like peat.


Take care when working around water.

• Digging or dredging in stream

channels or lake bottoms will

negatively affect the immediate

aquatic ecosystem, and effects can

easily spread to downstream

ecosystems.

• Avoid taking too much material

from any one place, and if you are

collecting material near a stream or

lake try to avoid spilling sediment

into the water.

(9) Finding the right mix means knowing what type of

material you are starting with, and knowing what you

want it to look like in the end.

13

The Organic Component

Qualities of Soil Components:

Material Water

Infiltration

Drainage Water and

Nutrient

Retention

Aeration Compaction

Resistance

Sand High High Low High High

Clay Low Low High Low Low

Organic

Matter

High High High High High

Despite making up a fairly small portion of the finished soil, organic matter is

perhaps the most important part. Organic matter is really where the life of your soil

comes from. Anything that was once alive, or came from something alive is organic

matter. This is how most of the nutrients that your plants need get into the soil. It is also

an important part of the structure of a good soil. It binds grains of soil together creating

loose but cohesive soil, full of spaces for water, air, and soil microbes. If your mineral

component is sandy, organic matter will help to hold water and nutrients, and keep

them from draining and leaching out of the garden. If your mineral component is clayey,

adding organic matter will help to loosen the soil and promote aeration, water

infiltration, and drainage.

It really does it all.

“Ideal” Soil Composition:

Mineral Organic Water Air

40‐45% 5‐10% 25% 25%

These are guidelines for a healthy, productive soil and they work well as general goals for

the soil composition.

However, when you are just starting out and building your soil from scratch, you may

consider exceeding the recommended 5‐10% organic matter, in order to ensure there is

adequate food for your plants.

14

The Compost:

Making the organic component of

your soil is the same as mixing up

good compost. Then you can add

this into the mineral component of

your soil. You will need to balance the

carbon sources (“browns”) with the

nitrogen sources (“greens”) in order to

have a good starting ratio that the microbes

in your soil can work with.

Carbon and Nitrogen:

The ratio most sources recommend is 20‐40 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen (20‐40:1). The

simplest way to keep your compost within this range is: whenever you add “greens”, add

some “browns” as well. The table below gives the approximate carbon/nitrogen ratios of

selected compost ingredients to help you create a mix with the materials available to you.

Material C:N

Newspaper 400‐900:1

Woodchips 200‐1300:1*

Sawdust 200‐750:1*

Pine Needles 66:1*

Birch Leaves 50:1*

Spruce Needles 26‐48:1*

Wood Ash 25:1

Peat 22:1

Green Yard/Garden Waste 20‐25:1*

Seaweed 19‐24:1*

Alder Leaves 16‐80:1*

Household Food Compost 15‐35:1*

Manure 10‐50:1

Fish By‐Products 5‐9:1*

Animal Hair 3‐10:1*

Tip!

Let these organic materials

sit and compost for a

growing season, before

adding them to the mineral

component of your soil. This

will help to ensure that

more of the nutrients from

the organic materials

actually make it into your

plants.

Table adapted from RDN Environmental Services 2001,

with reference to several other sources listed at the end of

this report. *C:N range derived from multiple sources.

15

(10) A spruce forest floor is covered with needles

and cones that help keep moisture from escaping

and promote fungal growth. This can be a great

source of carbon and minerals for your garden;

just take care not to take too much.

(11) Deciduous forests are an excellent renewable

source of organic material for soil because deciduous

trees lose their leaves each year in the fall.

Sourcing Organics in the NWT

The following section contains information on a variety of organic materials that can be

included into compost for your soil, including some suggestions of ways to collect these

materials sustainably.

Woodchips, Bark, Twigs, and Sawdust:

Woodchips, twigs, bark, and sawdust are all readily available carbon sources in the NWT.

There is a wide range of nutrient content in woodchips, but they all have relatively low

levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and are slower to break down than other

carbon sources. Avoid using woodchips or sawdust from treated wood/lumber, as

harmful chemicals could leach out into the soil.

Dry leaves make the best mulch and carbon

source for soil. Sawdust, woodchips, and

even shredded paper can also serve as a

carbon source, but these are not good

sources of other nutrients.

Putting shredded paper and cardboard in

the soil is a great way to recycle these

materials and keep them out of the landfill.

Keep it Wet:

The moisture content of your compost is

also important to manage. Wet materials

like fruit and vegetable waste should be

balanced with dry materials like dry leaves

or shredded paper. Compost works best at

about 50% moisture.

16

Birch, poplar, willow and alder are deciduous tree and shrub

species, meaning they loose their leaves in the fall. Leaves vary

in nutrient content depending on the species. Alder leaves can

be very high in nitrogen. Alder also fixes nitrogen in the soil, so

soil gathered near alder stands would likely make a good base

material for garden soil. Deciduous forest litter is a good carbon

source that will also serve as a source of nitrogen and calcium.

Deciduous leaves are moderately acidic (pH 5.1‐5.6).

White spruce, black spruce, jack pine and

tamarack are conifer trees that are common

throughout most of the NWT. Spruce needles

vary in nitrogen content; white spruce have

higher nitrogen compared to black spruce. A

coniferous forest floor typically has a C:N of

around 32:1, and a pH in the range of 4.0‐4.8.

Deciduous Forest Litter:

Coniferous Forest Litter:

(13) Black spruce needles and cones.


Collecting in Forests:

When collecting litter from the forest floor, keep in mind that the leaves

and needles are doing a job there. The litter in the forest holds in

moisture and facilitates fungi and soil animals that keep the soil healthy

and the trees healthy. Especially in coniferous forests, this layer of litter

can take a long time to build up. Avoid stripping the forest floor down to

bare ground, and keep both your garden and the forest healthy.

Leaf Mould:

One effective method of making a good soil amendment is piling

deciduous leaves and keeping them moist through the summer.

This will create a leaf mould that is high in bacterial life that can

add complexity, porosity and moisture retention to the soil.

(12) Paper birch leaves.

17

Fish Waste:

Fish guts, tails, and heads are a fantastic source of nitrogen in compost and also provide

fairly high levels of phosphorus, potassium, calcium and trace amounts of other minerals.

The best way to give your plants the benefit of these nutrients is to compost the fish

waste prior to mixing it into your garden. In Alaska, fisheries waste is mixed with peat to

create large quantities of high quality compost. Burying the fish remains under at least

30cm of peat helps to discourage animals from pillaging your compost pile. It also helps

with the smell. When fish decompose, part of what you can smell is the volatilization of

nitrogen, leaving the fish material as ammonia gas. Surrounding the fish remains with

moist humic material like peat or organic soil helps to stop the nitrogen from entering

into the atmosphere where your plants cannot access it. If you mix it directly into your

soil, you may lose some of the nutrients and run the risk of attracting animal, but the

material will still be an excellent amendment to your

garden soil.

Hair:

Human hair and pet hair are excellent nitrogen

sources, and provided they have not been overly

treated with chemicals, can make a great addition to

your garden soil. Caribou fur and the fur of other fur‐

bearing animals can also be used. Animal hair and fur

is high in nitrogen and calcium. As a mulch, it can also

be an effective moisture barrier and pest deterrent.


Collecting from Animals:

Traditional practices around giving back to

the land, and returning what you do not

use are important to uphold. Fish remains

should be treated respectfully whether

they are returned to the water or used in

garden soil. Ask a local elder if there is any

question about whether incorporating fish

remains, or other animal‐based materials

like caribou hair, into garden soil is

appropriate.

(14) Fish guts are

high in nitrogen

and many other

nutrients that

plants need.

(15) Hair stripped from animal hides

during the tanning process makes a

great addition to garden soil.

18

Household Compost:

A wide range of food scraps can be included in household compost. Vegetable waste has

a C:N around 15:1, fruit waste is closer to 35:1 or higher. Coffee grounds are at 20:1.

“Woodier” bits likely have a higher carbon content; corn cobs are in the range of 50‐

100:1. The more broken up the material is, the more available the nutrients will be to

your plants.

(16) In Yellowknife, a Centralized Composting system is in place to turn household food

waste into rich finished compost that makes an excellent fertilizer and structural

amendment to garden soil. You can also do this on a smaller scale in your backyard or in

your community.

Garden/Yard Waste:

Grass clippings, garden trimmings and weeds are all great sources of nitrogen. Green

grass clippings have a C:N of about 20:1; vegetable scraps can be as low as 10:1 (low is

good!). Weeds should not be included in soil if they have already gone to seed. Putting

weeds in your compost heap is essentially planting them in your garden. Most weed

seeds are sterilized at between 710C and 82

0C, some can remain viable at temperatures

approaching 1000C; compost in your garden soil or backyard composter typically does

not get that hot.

19

Seaweed and Aquatic Plants:

Seaweed and freshwater plants are an

excellent source of nitrogen, potassium, and

calcium for your soil. It also has a near neutral

pH meaning you do not have to worry that

adding too much will lower your soil pH.

Collecting it once it has washed up on shore is

best – raking it directly out of the water

damages aquatic habitat. Marine seaweed

can be high in salt, which can be damaging to

plants at high concentrations in the soil. It

should be used sparingly and rinsed with

fresh water before being added to the soil.

Wood Ash:

Wood ash is a potential carbon source and potent liming agent for your garden. Wood

ash is also a good source of potassium. It should not be considered unless the pH of your

soil is very acidic (less than pH 5.0) – high pH can be just as harmful to plants as low pH.

If your organic mix is composed largely of acidic materials like peat and boreal forest

litter, you may consider adding some wood ash. As a lime it is about 25‐50% as effective

as crushed limestone, but is reportedly fairly potent and mixing it into compost is

preferable to sprinkling it directly onto the soil. Spreading wood ash directly onto the

garden can be damaging to seedlings. Wood ash can also contain trace amounts of

heavy metals and other contaminants, so its use in the garden should be limited. Wood

ash from pellet stoves in the NWT can contain boron at levels far exceeding those

recommended for use in the garden, and so it is not recommended that pellet stove ash

be used without testing it first.

(17) In areas where aquatic plants wash up on the

beach often, these can be a great organic material

to include in your garden soil.

(18) Save your wood ashes over the winter to mix into your soil in the spring.

Wood ash can help to balance out the pH of more acidic materials in your

soil, like forest litter and peat. Be careful not to add too much into your mix.

pH

20

Manure:

Well‐cured or well‐composted

animal manure from livestock makes

an excellent organic fertilizer and

addition to garden soil. It is a good

source of nitrogen, phosphorus,

potassium and micronutrients for

your plants. Bison manure,

theoretically would be similar to cow

manure and an effective source of

manure if locally available. Chicken,

bison, sheep, goat, horse, and

reindeer manure all make great

fertilizer for your garden as long as

they are allowed time to cure. This

means it must be piled so it can

reach temperatures of 550C or

higher for at least 15 days before it is

used as a soil amendment. Fresh manure can

contain pathogens like E. coli, and when spread

on the garden these pathogens can be

transferred to fruit and vegetables that come in

contact with the manure.

But, Don’t Compost…

Dogs, and cats do not produce good garden manure. Animals that eat meat can

harbour diseases and parasites that are best kept out of the garden. This includes

human manure (“humanure”), which must be properly composted to kill potential

pathogens and tested before it is safe to use in the garden. Cat litter can contain

harmful chemicals and is also not recommended as a soil amendment.

(19) Chicken manure is often high in

calcium, which is a nutrient that can be

naturally low in acidic NWT soils. Use

where it is available.


Covering the Garden in Winter:

Avoid mounding manure in large piles on top of the

soil in the winter as this can protect insects that

normally die off during the winter from the cold.

This die off is a natural process and allowing it to

occur can help prevent the spread of southern

agricultural pests northward.

21


Collecting in Peatlands:

Overharvesting peat essentially destroys the existing ecosystem, and changes it into

something new. If peat is extensively harvested from a bog or fen, the conditions that

created the peat are destroyed, and production of peat stops. It takes thousands of years

to form peat, and therefore peat is a non‐renewable resource.

However, peat makes an excellent amendment to garden soil, and in some areas, may be

one of few resources available for building soil. While removing peat in any quantity will

affect the ecosystem, harvesting peat in small quantities could be done with minimal

effect on the surrounding hydrology and plant life. Creating small, shallow depressions or

pools can actually increase the variety of habitat on the peatland, and if done carefully on

the scale necessary for backyard or community gardens, this would be much less

detrimental than systematic harvest of peat.

Peatlands are very susceptible to compaction, and thus care is needed when extracting

large quantities with heavy equipment.

Peat:

Peat is the result of

Sphagnum moss and other

plants building up layers of

organic matter under

waterlogged, low oxygen

conditions. It can be found

under the live layer of

growing mosses and sedges

in fens and bogs. It is

excellent at holding

moisture, and improving

the texture of soil. It has a

pH of less than 4.0, often

closer to 3.0 (very acidic).

Peat is generally not a

good source of essential

nutrients, but it can serve

as an excellent source of

carbon for your mix, and it

has the added benefit of

trapping nutrients as they are released from other decomposing organic material;

nutrients like nitrogen that can easily be lost to leaching or evaporation. Collecting peat

for use in garden soil has many potential negative implications for local environments,

especially if carried out on a large scale, and this should come into consideration when

deciding which carbon sources to include in your soil.

(20) Sphagnum moss (left) and peat (right) both come

from peatlands (pictured behind). Sphagnum is the active

growing layer of the peatland, and peat is found under

the active layer.

22

(22) This illustration shows

the difference between a

bog and a fen. Both contain

peat, but a bog is cut off

from water running over the

surrounding rocks, whereas

a fen receives both water

and nutrients from the

surrounding landscape – so

bogs have lower nutrients

and minerals than fens.

Importance of Peatlands:

Peatlands are a common feature of the landscape in the NWT. They are sensitive

wetlands, where saturated organic material has built up over time. Peatlands vary in

appearance – they can be open expanses of mossy hummocks, pools and low shrubs, or

they can be drier and spongy areas sparsely forested with black spruce.

• These areas provide habitat for a wide variety of animals and plants.

• They are also used for hunting and for gathering traditional foods and medicines.

• They help to prevent flooding and filter groundwater.

• They can also act as important seed sources following forest fires.

• Northern peatlands also store an immense amount of carbon, and it is important

that they continue to do so.

At the heart of these important

ecosystems is a plant that supports all

of the rest: Sphagnum moss.

Harvesting peat moss from peatlands

is very disruptive to these ecosystems.

However, if it is harvested carefully,

locally and minimally, it can be a great

ingredient for soil recipes where there

is not much else available.

(21) Peatlands are used by humans as a source

of food and medicine. Many other animals,

including caribou, use peatlands to find food.

23

Putting It All Together

Once you have all the ingredients of the mineral and organic components, it’s time to

bake the cake! You will get the most out of your ingredients if you have time to let them

bake. Mix well with air and water and let it all compost over the course of a growing

season. This will allow more of the nutrients to be released from the organic matter

before you plant your crops in the soil.

Healthy soil has a good mix of mineral and organic components, but it also has proper

moisture, aeration, nutrients and pH. These factors need to be managed to keep the

microorganisms healthy, and they should all be considered when you are mixing up your

soil.

There are many other organic materials that can be incorporated into your soil. Try to

balance the moisture and nutrients in your soil with what you have available.

Scale:

Soil can be made in small quantities in the backyard, or in larger piles or windrows

through the efforts of a community. Larger piles will cure faster than soil made in

a backyard composter, and allow animal attractants like fish remains to be buried

deeper in the pile.

(23) Aerating and wetting a windrow, Yellowknife Centralized Compost.

24

Nutrients:

Nutrients are the elements that plants take from the environment in order to carry out

all the important functions that allow them to survive. Nitrogen (N) is needed to make

proteins and chlorophyll so the plants can get energy through photosynthesis;

phosphorus (P) helps with the development of roots and stems; potassium (K) is

involved in photosynthesis and water uptake, as well as a number of other cellular

processes. Calcium (Ca) is very

important as a structural

component of plants and

assists with the uptake of

other nutrients. There are

dozens of other nutrients that

are necessary for plants to

grow and be productive.

Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen

are taken in through the leaves

from the atmosphere. All of

the rest are taken up

through the roots from the

soil.

Testing Your Soil:

Not all nutrients are needed in equal amounts, and keeping the balance is important.

Most are only needed in very small amounts and plants are not usually lacking them as

long as the soil is rich in organic matter. Others may need to be added to the soil via

fertilizers, and the best way to do this accurately is by testing your soil first.

You can get a full soil test done by sending a sample in to a soil lab, and it will give you

all the information you need to make the necessary adjustments to your nutrients.

There are also very inexpensive methods (like Rapitest Soil Test Kits) that will allow you

to quickly assess the N, P and K (three essential nutrients that are found in the greatest

quatities in soil), as well as the pH of your soil.

N Ca P

K S Mn Zn

Cu B Mg Fe

Cl Na

(24) In a new garden, you may want to add fertilizers like bone

meal to your soil to bring the nutrients up to an acceptable

level, especially in the first few years before the soil life begins

to flourish. Try to minimize your use of fertilizers, even organic

ones; even these have an environmental impact. You should be

able to get all the nutrients you need from local materials.

There are many

nutrients

necessary for

plant growth.

Some are needed

in greater

quantities than

others.

25

Fertilizing:

Fertilizing your soil is not as simple as dumping nutrients into it until your plants grow

better. Here are some things to consider:

Calcium:

NWT soils are often low in calcium,

especially where soil is very acidic.

Wood ash is an excellent source of

calcium but be careful not to add

this if your soil has a high pH. Other

good sources of calcium include:

• Bone meal

• Crushed limestone dust,

• Crushed eggshells,

• Fish bones,

• Animal hair,

• Spruce needles.

Too Much or Too Little?

Plants need a balance of nutrients.

Adding lots of nitrogen will not save

your soil if it is low in calcium.

Adding too much of one nutrient can

impact the balance of another. This

is why it is good to test your soil to

find out exactly what it is you need

more of, and how much.

N‐P‐K:

Most chemical and organic fertilizers list the

relative content of nitrogen, available

phosphate and soluble potash (N‐P‐K). These

N‐P‐K values are useful for knowing what

you are adding to your soil.

Bone meal is a source of phosphorus, and is

not a great source of nitrogen or potassium.

It has N‐P‐K values of around 2‐15‐0. It is

also a good source of calcium but the N‐P‐K

values do not tell you everything that is in

the fertilizer.

A good livestock manure may be around 2‐

0.8‐1, which seems low compared to values

on a bottle of chemical fertilizer, but that is

because the values show what is

immediately available to plants. Much of the

nutrients in manure, as well as in other

organic materials, are released slowly and

will become available to plants over the

course of several growing seasons.

Avoid Chemicals:

N‐P‐K values do not tell you everything that

is in a fertilizer. Many chemical fertilizers

include many filler materials not listed on

the packaging that will not help your garden

in the long run.

In fact, chemical nitrogen fertilizers like

ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate

can actually contribute to soil acidification,

and can have negative impacts on microbial

communities in the soil.

Organic Fertilizers:

Some good organic fertilizers to use

include: (good source of)

• Compost (N)

• Manure (N, P, K)

• Wood ash (P, K) *raises pH

• Rock phosphate (P)

• Granite dust (K)

• Bone meal (P)

• Blood meal (N)

26

Summary

What does good soil look like?

• Loose and dark

• Lots of organic matter

• Mix of sand, clay, and silt

• Well mixed, with few large

clumps

• 25% moisture

• pH ~5.5‐7.0

Building local garden soil is really about growing food, and moving toward

sustainable local food systems in the NWT. Community gardens and

backyard gardens can produce healthy food using transparent, healthy

techniques. They can encourage people to become active in the community,

and they can encourage people to take control of their food choices, and

make informed decisions about their nutrition.

Growing good food in the NWT is possible. We can provide affordable,

nutritious alternatives to imported fruits and vegetables, and good soil is

the key to making this a reality.

It all starts with the soil.

Harvest materials responsibly,

experiment and find a mix that works for you.

(25) If you put the effort into making good, healthy soil,

you will see the results of your efforts in your garden and

the good healthy food you will grow.

27

Suggested Reading

10 Steps to Gardening With Nature: Using Sustainable Methods to Replicate Mother

Nature,

Elizabeth Murphy, Gardening With Nature, 2015.

Alaska’s Agricultural Soils: Sampling and Interpretation of Test Results,

Bob Van Veldhuizen, 2016.

Basic Guide to Gardening in the NWT,

The Territorial Farmer’s Association.

Building Soil: A Down‐To‐Earth Approach,

Carole Ann Rollins and Elaine Ingham, Cool Springs Press, 2015.

Building Soils Naturally: Innovative Methods for Organic Gardeners,

Phil Nauta, Acres USA, 2012.

Harrowsmith Northern Gardener,

Jennifer Bennett, Camden House Publishing Ltd, 1982.

Northern Backyard Farming 3: Composting,

Ecology North, 2016.

Northern Backyard Farming 4: Soil health,

Ecology North, 2016.

On‐Farm Composting Handbook,

Robert Rynk (Ed.), Plant and Life Sciences Publishing, 1992.

Resource Guide to Organic Gardening,

The Yellowknife Community Garden Collective, Artisan Press Ltd.

Yukon Gardener’s Manual,

Jeanne Burke and Debbie Abbot, Yukon Agriculture Branch, 2005.

28

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Rosen, C.J. and P.M. Bierman. Commercial fruit and vegetable production: Using manure and compost as

nutrient sources for fruit and vegetable crops. University of Minnisota Extension. 10 pp. Accessed

from: <http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/fruit‐vegetable/using‐manure‐and‐compost/>.

Schönning, C. and T.A. Stenström. 2004. Guidelines on the Safe Use of Urine and Faeces in Ecological

Sanitation Systems. Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, EcoSanRes Publication Series,

Report 2004‐1. 39 pp. Accessed from:

<http://www.ecosanres.org/pdf_files/ESR_Publications_2004/ESR1web.pdf>.

Peat:

Daigle, J.Y., H. Gautreau‐Daigle, and D. Keys. 2001. Canadian peat harvesting and the environment, 2nd ed.

North American Wetland Conservation Council Committee, Sustaining Wetlands Issue Paper, No.

2001‐1. 41 pp.

Rochefort, L. 2000. Sphagnum – A keystone genus in habitat restoration. The Bryologist 103: pp. 503‐508.

Van Seters, T.E., and J.S. Price. 2001. The impact of peat harvesting and natural regeneration on the water

balance of an abandoned cutover bog, Quebec. Hydrological Processes 15: pp. 233‐248.

Fertilizing:

Gavlak, R.G., and S. Seefeldt. 2016. Field crop fertilizer recommendations for Alaska: Fertilizer nutrient

sources and lime. University of Alaska Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension Service, Crop Production

and Soil Management Series, FGV‐00348. 7 pp.

Nathan, M. Steps in fertilizing garden soil: Vegetables and annual flowers. MU Extension, University of

Missouri. 4 pp. Accessed from:

<http://extension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/agguides/hort/g06950.pdf>.

Rosen, C.J. and P.M. Bierman. 2005. Nutrient management for fruit and vegetable crop production:

Maintaining soil fertility in an organic system. University of Minnisota Extension. 10 pp. Accessed

from: <http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard‐garden/soils/maintaining‐soil‐fertility‐in‐an‐

organic‐fruit‐and‐vegetable‐crops‐system/doc/M1191.pdf>.

32

Picture Credits Title page: Garden graphic: <http://www.canstockphoto.com/illustration/garden.html>

Soil image: <http://www.rangewaysupply.com/loam‐‐sod.html>

(1) Ecology North

(2) Ecology North

(3) Map adapted from: Ecological regions of the Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and

Natural Resources, GNWT, 2010

(4) Ecology North

(5) <http://inhabitat.com/plants‐can‐talk‐to‐each‐other‐by‐clicking‐their‐roots/>

Life in the Soil graphics, pg. 6: <http://www.clipartpanda.com/clipart_images/rain‐drops‐clip‐art‐vector‐

31205136>,<https://clipartfest.com/categories/view/01be50f3f8ed94e99c6854274cdcdbd5fab708

69/compost‐clipart.html>, <https://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/prod1;ft_lawn_garden‐

ft_thermometers;pg108115.html>, and <http://hostted.com/bulldozer‐clip‐art/>

What Lives in Soil background graphic pg. 7: <http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/microbiome/intro/>

(6) <http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/microbiome/intro/>, <http://www‐

plb.ucdavis.edu/labs/Rost/Tomato/tomhome.html> and <http://clipart‐

library.com/clipart/21483.htm>

(7) <http://grist.org/food/the‐secret‐to‐richer‐carbon‐capturing‐soil‐treat‐your‐microbes‐well/>

(8) McCauley, A., C. Jones, and J.J. Jaconsen. 2005. Basic Soil Properties. MSU Extension Service, Soil and

Water Management Module 1, 4481‐1. 12 pp.

(9) <http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slowchurch/2011/10/11/becoming‐good‐soil/>

Compost graphic, pg. 9: <https://www.trustvets.com/articles/composting‐101‐covering‐the‐basics‐130>

(10) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picea_mariana>

(11) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betula_papyrifera>

(12) <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/514465957404884078/>

(13) <https://treecanada.ca/en/resources/canadas‐arboreal‐emblems/newfoundland‐labrador‐black‐

spruce‐picea‐mariana/>

(14) <http://www.chowhound.com/pictures/making‐gefilte‐fish/bucket‐fish‐guts>

(15) <http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/40242#.WIo‐pigvas4>

(16)<https://www.fcm.ca/Documents/presentations/2012/webinars/Yellowknife_Centralized_Compostin

g_Pilot_Project_EN.pdf>

(17) Aiken, S.G., M.J. Dallwitz, L.L. Consaul, C.L. McJannet, R.L. Boles, G.W. Argus, J.M. Gillett, P.J. Scott, R.

Elven, M.C. LeBlanc, L.J. Gillespie, A.K. Brysting, H. Solstad, and J.G. Harris. 2007. Flora of the

Canadian arctic archipelago: Descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval.

NRC Research Press, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa. Accessed from:

<http://nature.ca/aaflora/data>.

(18) <http://blog.emergencyoutdoors.com/30‐uses‐for‐wood‐ash/>

(19) <https://hencam.com/henblog/2012/02/compost‐bins‐and‐chicken‐manure/>

Dog poop graphic, pg. 17: <http://www.poop911.com/blog/>

(20) <http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/sphagnum‐moss‐not‐peat‐t2486.html> and Ecology North

(21) <https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/frozenground/animals.html>

(22) Daigle, J.Y., H. Gautreau‐Daigle, and D. Keys. 2001. Canadian peat harvesting and the environment,

2nd ed. North American Wetland Conservation Council Committee, Sustaining Wetlands Issue Paper,

No. 2001‐1. pp. 5.

(23) Ecology North

(24) <http://pallensmith.com/2016/06/29/bone‐meal‐vs‐blood‐meal‐whats‐difference/>

(25) <http://sacredjourneysracine.com/tag/good‐soil/>

33

Notes: