DIRT ABOUT DIRT

We all know about dirt, right, we walk it in on our shoes, get it under our nails when we garden, but what is dirt (soil) ?  Soil is the top layer of the Earth's crust, it is the dirt layer plants grow in.  All plant life relies upon soil for stability and food, plants root in the soil and obtain nutrients there. Soil as we know is different in different places due to what is available for soil buillding.
So what is soil really?  Soil is composed of minerals, organic matter, air and water. The best soil ratio of these items is 50% solid matter, 25% air and 25% water. That is ideal and you probably don't have that as a general rule. So each area of Earth has different soil conditions due to the varying of these components.
Soil is generally divided into 3 classes ; clay, sandy and loamy.
Basically it is a mixture of sand, clay, loam and stones and the amounts of each determine what type of soil we have.
Loam is organic matter and where does organic matter come from? Organic matter comes from dead plants and animals that microrgaism in the soil break down. Minerals come from the weathering of rock .
Good soil grows great plants , but there is an idea that is foreign to our thinking about soils and that is that soil is a NON renewable resource that we should guard fiercely.  It takes about 500 years to create one inch of top soil. Top soil is where we grow our plants. Additionally one gram of soil can contain 5 to 7 thousand bacteria necessary for good top soil.
Top soil is alive with life and it provides all of us with the opportunity to garden effectively, so care for your soil and get growing.