Soil preparation to a depth of 24 inches (60 cm):
allows plant roots to grow vertically instead of horizontally, which allows for:
- greater drought resistance by allowing roots access to deeper water stores
- 4 times the plants to be planted in a given area, which allows for:
- up to 4 times the nutrient cycling
- greater atmospheric carbon sequestration
- 4 times the food to be grown in the same space
- less soil lost to wind and water erosion
promotes soil structure by loosening the soil—creating pore space for air and water1, which leads to:
- an improved environment for plant roots
- decreased plant water requirements due to greater soil water storage capacity
supports increased nutrient availability due to increased soil microbial life and increased depth of living soil structure.
Footnotes:
1) Soil loosening, while less important in sandy soils, becomes increasingly important as soil clay content increases.
