Can You Dig It?

Ranchers often hire me after they’ve had other consultants who didn’t deliver their hopedfor results. These new clients often ask me why I dig so many holes and pay so little attention to their soil tests. Well, digging holes frequently tells me more about the soil than those lab reports. I want to know how the soil works, so I ask some questions.

Is the soil easy to dig? How easily does the shovel enter the soil? Hard, compacted soils usually lack sufficient organic matter. Even extremely dry soils with more organic matter are easier to dig. Organic matter fuels and softens the soil.

When the soil is opened to expose the ground mass, how many roots are visible? A few roots means the soil does not have enough plants or does not support enough life. What types of roots predominate, weeds or grasses? The surface doesn’t always provide that information.

When weed roots predominate, it means the soil lacks proper minerals. When grass roots predominate it can mean a better mineral balance. Next, how closely are the roots interwoven? There should be little space between roots in a healthy soil. The soil ball should not fall apart but be held together by the roots.

Is there diversity? The mix of roots varies depending on the season. Perennial and annual plant roots occupy varying degrees of space during seasonal changes. The health of the roots is easily visible: something a soil sample doesn’t show.

How deeply do the roots extend into the soil? To explore this, it’s important to expose not only the top layer of soil, but also the subsoil layer or layers. I use a sharpshooter (drain spade) to dig my holes, so I can generally get fourteen to eighteen inches deep. Bermudagrass and Bahia grass roots rarely get that deep. A hardpan in the soil will stop a number of roots and water as well. Native grasses and weed roots can be found as deep or deeper than exotic grasses.

What does the soil smell like? When digging, I note the scent of the soil. Good soil has an earthy fragrance. Dead soil has little to no fragrance, and poor soil can have an unappealing odor. When soils are anaerobic, they lack oxygen and drainage. The smell is awful and requires immediate action to repair. During droughts, anerobic soils can smell worse than a wet dog.

Does the soil have a healthy, intact microbiome? We’ve learned a lot about the importance of good gut bacteria to human health in recent years. Soil bacteria are just as important to pasture health. Have you ever passed by a freshly plowed field and noticed the fragrance? The aroma comes from the dying bodies of bacteria. While most people consider this fragrance pleasing, it’s not typically a good thing. Too much tillage breaks apart the mycorrhizal fungi strands that feed the plants. Some soils carry a root odor as well as a fragrance from soil microorganisms. The root odor can tell me how well the plant is doing. You can’t get that from a lab report.

How does the soil feel? In my soils classes at Texas A&M, our professors taught us about the feel of the soil. I always liked playing in the dirt, but I learned to understand qualities of soil that I never before understood. Does the soil make a ribbon when pressed between the thumb and fingers? Does it break apart? Does it crumble or hold together like a rock? While one might learn this from a soil sample, how many lab technicians take the time to check? When I was Grounds Manager at Fiesta Texas, we got bags of soil from every county in Texas to dump on the grounds of the park. It was a publicity stunt, but I had the privilege of checking out the soil in each bag. No two soils were alike.

Are there good soil critters? Another thing I look for when digging holes in the soil is the presence of macro-organisms. Too often, there are few or no earthworms. Earthworms are some of the best employees a farmer or rancher can have. They work day and night. Everything they touch improves.Asingle earthworm can move five tons of soil in a year. Each ton is aerated and biologically enriched. The more earthworms, the healthier the soil.

Are there tunnels made by other creatures as well? Wireworms, grubs, ants and so many other critters live and work in the soil. Far too many soils lack the presence of any life. Most of these soils were exposed to toxic chemicals like herbicides, pesticides and chemical salt fertilizers. No wonder they abandoned the area. Who wants to live in a poisoned environment?

What about grubs? Not every grub in the soil is a June bug. Dung beetle grubs can and should be found in soils where animals roam. These creatures are another of a rancher’s best friends, burying dung deep in the soil to enrich and fertilize the plants above. They also work without pay, day in and day out. When there are no grubs visible, it generally means that the rancher is using pesticides on the land and/or on the livestock. You can’t buy better help. Killing dung beetles is like pulling money out of your wallet and burning it.

So, the next time a consultant tells you how to grow more forage without having dug a number of holes on the property, consider their ability to make good recommendations. Lab reports from soil samples are just a small piece of understanding the real nature of the soil. Can you dig it?

David E. Will is a local rancher and consultant, available by phone or text at 830-629-9876.