Is that enough carbon to increase soil organic matter 1%? Organic matter increases soil fertility. They form channels that help water infiltration, and promote soil aggregation and aeration. You can’t change the type of soil you have, but adding organic matter makes your soil more like loam, which is perfect for plant roots. Organic lawn fertilizer adds organic matter to the soil, which stimulates microbial activity and improves its structure. You can also plant more legume plants, like peas, alfalfa, and beans, which produce nitrogen as they grow. It transforms them from organic matter to forms readily taken up by plants. The target for a composting program should for a lawn's soil to contain 5% organic matter. The increase in microbial activity aids the cycling of nutrients. Using organic materials available from your yard or neighboring yards keeps them out of landfills and recycles nutrients from plants to soil and back to plants. If manure or compost have been applied that would change the story. Adding organic matter back into your soil will also increase water-holding capacity. Shebreaths continuously. Increase the Organic Matter content of your soil. How do we do this, short of tearing up the lawn and plowing down manure or other high organic sources? Organic soils and fertilizers release nutrients over time, and as a result, your plants and lawn grow stronger over time. Many gardeners are uncertain of how to use organic matter, so we offer some tips on getting the best from it. You can think of organic matter like little sponges, soaking up moisture and releasing it back into the roots of the grass. So 1% of 2,000,000 is 20,000 lbs. Greater levels of organic matter will increase earthworm numbers. All carbon, which makes up most of what we call organic matter, is not created equal, and that can make soil test readings confusing. Cover Crops Increase Soil Organic Matter Cover crops are able to increase soil organic matter by protecting the soil surface from erosion, adding biomass to the soil (especially below the soil surface), and creating a habitat for microorganisms like fungi that contribute to the soil biology and provide more pathways for nutrient management in the soil ecosystem. About 50% is air and water, and 45% is minerals (sand, silt and clay in some combination). Blown away!! It’s weed-free and low in nitrogen so it won’t burn plants. We assume one acre slice of soil (to a depth of 6.7”) weighs 2,000,000 lbs. Take comfort in knowing only a little bit of organic matter goes a long way to making any soil better. Soils with at least 2.5 to 3 percent organic matter are preferable for growing lawns. I was blown away and I am a lawn 'expert' so to speak. As the matter goes through their intestines, it’s fragmented and inoculated with microorganisms. Let’s calculate how much carbon is in 1% of soil organic matter. Soil that is hard and compacted will not allow water and nutrients to soak in and the soil becomes barren and dry. You will have a tremendous increase in beneficial soil microorganisms, more efficient nutrient delivery, less nutrient leaching, better water retention, healthier plants, deeper and healthier roots, and higher Cation Exchange Capacity, just to name a few. In this process she burns organic matter to convert it in carbon-di-oxide, which escapes as a gas in air. To increase nitrogen in soil, try making compost using vegetables, coffee grounds, and other food waste, which will enrich your soil with nitrogen when you use it to garden with. Most gardening recommendations include “working” organic matter into the soil through digging or tilling prior to planting, but this can’t be done once the grass has grown. Understanding Organic Matter. 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