How is black soil formed?
Soil becomes black as a result of broken down organic materials (Humus) getting mixed in. Typically leaves from trees etc fall to the ground and break down through microbial activity. At the same time beetles and worms sift through and consume the rotting vegetable matter. While doing this they mix the material up with the base soil which can be sand or limestone etc. Over many years the top layer of soild becomes black with all of the added material. Usually this reults in the most fertile soli for growing plants. The organic material also retains water which is a very valuable asset for farmers. When natural mechanisms are not there or are not quick enough, then farmers and gardeners delliberately prepare organic material to mix into the soil to improve its gorwing properties. This might be wasdt vegetable products which have been “composted” and then dug in. In my garden I just lay old mushroom compost on the ground which has been discarded by the commerial growers. Over winter the
