Not just dirt.
A place for life.
Follow water through the spaces. Meet the tiny workforce. Find out why “rich” is the beginning of a question—not the end.
Hover, tap or keyboard-focus a point. Pore, root and moisture drawings explain relationships; they do not calculate flow rates or diagnose your soil.
Rich in what?
Limited by what?
Different limitations need different observations.
01Low available nutrients +
A nutrient limitation needs a suitable test and interpretation for the crop. Small plants alone are not a nutrient diagnosis.
Next: Request appropriate soil sampling guidance.02Low organic matter +
Organic matter can support soil function. The appropriate target depends on soil and management; adding compost endlessly is not the goal.
Next: Track organic matter and nutrient accumulation over time.03Compaction +
Restricted pore space can limit air and water movement. This physical problem is not equivalent to a shortage of fertilizer.
Next: Keep repeated foot and wheel traffic out of planting beds.04pH or salt imbalance +
Excess compost can contribute to high nutrients, alkalinity or salts, especially where rain does not leach a protected growing area.
Next: Ask whether pH and soluble-salt tests fit your situation.05Possible contamination +
A productive-looking growing space is not proof of safe soil or water. Site history and suitable testing answer different questions from fertility testing.
Next: Investigate previous site use and ask local Extension which tests are relevant.06An unknown limitation +
Crop, season, light, water and disease can all matter. “Depleted” is a question to investigate, not a diagnosis from this animation.
Next: Record crop, location, weather, symptoms and recent changes.Good soil matters.
So does the whole story.
A soil test is not a nutrition label. Follow the crop to the plate and see which questions research has answered—and which remain open.
Explore soil to supper →function→Crop
composition→Overall
diet
Three different evidence questions.
No automatic health multiplier.