We as professionals need to look at the soil as a living organism rather than a medium for plants. If the soil is full of life (Fungus, Bacteria, Insects – FBI) then any plant will have access to the nutrients it specifically needs, whether it needs a lot like a vegetable garden or very little like a native plant restoration. If there is good soil health then amendments aren’t that necessary. If soil is sterile from being under a parking lot for 20 years then it needs a lot of amendment. Not just fertilizers and compost but mulch (sheet mulching rocks – google it up) and soil innoculants. (Harmony Farm Supply in Sebastopol, CAl).
Another approach is to build soil over time with a succession of plantings (from pioneering annuals to long lived trees over a 10, 100, 1000+ year plan) For this check out James Corner’s concept for the Fresh Kills Landfill.
