Book Review - Soil Science for Gardeners

Soil is the starting point upon which good gardens grow, but understanding what goes on in a world unseen underground can feel unfathomable. So much life is teeming down there and with new research beginning to reveal all kinds of intricate connections, like those between roots and soil in the rhizosphere, not to mention symbiotic relationships between organisms, here's a book the curious gardener can read.

For those who shied away from taking high school chemistry class but want to unearth the fundamentals, this book is an excellent place to start. Through a science-based perspective, Robert Pavlis weaves compelling and accessible explanations that can be easily read cover to cover, or used as handy reference.

Pavlis has been gardening for 45 years. He owns a six-acre private botanical garden called Aspen Grove Gardens in Ontario that grows over 3,000 perennials, grasses, trees, and shrubs. Also a chemist, teacher, and blogger, he has written two other gardening books. Without question, Pavlis advances a point of view. As he sees it, gardeners as consumers, have been conditioned to believe that without fertilizers, plants won't grow properly. In his opinion, the notion of "feeding plants" or "plant food" is a misconception. He makes a strong case that building soil health and being attentive to soil structure should be a gardener's focus. Nevertheless, valuable information, presented objectively, makes clear the differences and advantages in all types of synthetic and organic fertilizers and soil amendments, along with various composting techniques. The last part of the book is a soil assessment guide and action plan for readers ready to get their hands dirty.

Soil Science for Gardeners - Working with Nature to Build Soil Health was published by New Society Publishers in 2020.