Allen Centennial Garden Winter Class Series: Soil Organic Matter and Healthy Soils- Thea Whitman, UW Soil Science Dept.

You may have heard a lot about soil health and soil organic matter. What are these two concepts, and how are they connected? Thea will discuss what soil organic matter is, the factors that determine whether the amount of organic matter in soil grows or diminishes, and the co-benefits of soil organic matter with respect to soil health. She will also discuss one specific form of soil organic matter - biochar – a brief overview of its history and its use as a soil amendment.