How to increase the organic matter in your soil for better soil health

Raymond Balaguer Contributor As we have discussed in previous articles, North Florida soils are primarily sandy. This means that they cannot hold water or nutrients for a long time. Organic matter plays several crucial roles in sandy soil, enhancing its properties and supporting plant growth. Organic matter helps to bind sandy particles together, forming aggregates. These aggregates do not break down as easily and help reduce erosion, keep water and nutrients in the soil for longer, buffer temperature changes, and suppress plant diseases that usually come from the soil (soilborne pests and pathogens). In nature, soil organic matter comes from plant debris and other organisms that die and