Using a Plant's Appearance as an Indicator of Soil Conditions

A plant's appearance can indicate the general health of the soil and can hint at a particular deficiency or toxic level of some substance, but how do we interpret the various different signs in a holistic way so as to take an approach that corrects the problem without creating additional issues?

I'm hoping to find some good answers in Ask the Plant by Charles Walters and Esper K Chandler.

Updates to follow.

Going with the (Energy) Flow

Dr. Arden Andersen is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and biophysicist who practices medicine in Santa Ana, California. You can read his blog at

http://ardenandersen.blogspot.com/

I have been reading his book, The Anatomy of Life and Energy in Agriculture, and given his unconventional thoughts on agriculture and health, it has been a very eye-opening experience. One of the central concepts of the book that really resonates with me is the idea that the key to maintaining balance and health in all living systems, from cells to organisms to ecosystems, is metered and uninterrupted energy flow. That seems simple enough, and the global scientific community appears to be in agreement on this principle, and yet it seems that this principle is regularly ignored by those who produce (or, more accurately, those who set policy for producing) most of the world's food. Whether it is ignorance or willful disregard, the failure to abide by this basic principle results in the production of foods of inferior quality and the use of production methods that have numerous detrimental effects on the environments in which the foods are grown. Why is it that such a basic concept seems completely ignored by those who produce the majority of the world's food supply? I would say that in a list of many possible answers, greed and shortsightedness would be near the top.

Andersen also contends that it is calcium that is "the foundation element for all biological life." His explanations make a great deal of sense, but I don't think I would have guessed that calcium was so crucial to so many processes within a growing plant. Perhaps even more surprising is Andersen's claim that it is also calcium which plays the most important role in providing structure to healthy soils.

I am looking forward to reading more articles by Dr. Andersen.

Geophagy: The Title of this Blog Could Be the Definition of This Word

Let them eat dirt!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geophagy

While I don't advocate eating dirt, I suspect there are some benefits to the animals that engage in the practice.

Test Post for Soil for Supper

Mmm...can't you just taste those delicious soil microbes!