What Is Soil Health? A Guide for UK Landowners

If you’re a landowner and you want that land to be productive for you, then you need to be sure that it’s healthy. Whether it’s farmland, a garden, or a conservation area, you need to understand soil health for it to work with you and not against. It’s not just about improving yields – UK landowners must make sure that the environment is preserved, that biodiversity is supported, and that long-term land use and value is safeguarded.

Soil health (also known as soil quality) refers to the function of soil and its role in sustaining plants, animals, and humans – as a living ecosystem. Healthy soil isn’t just dirt – it’s a system where physical, chemical, and biological components are present, interact, and support life. It can store and cycle nutrients, regulate water, give a habitat to numerous microorganisms, and help regulate climate change by storing carbon. Basically, healthy soil is a live entity, and it will influence the productivity of the land it supports – as with all things, the healthier the better!

Soil health in the UK has a direct effect on agriculture and the environment. Soils that are poorly managed and/or degraded are prone to erosion, loss of nutrients, and poor water retention, which can reduce the crop yields and increase costs. Healthy soils on the other hand encourage plant growth, reduce the need for fertilisers and irrigation, and help ecosystems to thrive.

There are several benefits in maintaining soil health for landowners. Good soil health allows crops to grow more efficiently, promoting environmentally responsible land management. A healthy soil will help prevent erosion and runoff, which in turn reduces the risk of water pollution, helping protect rivers and wetlands. There is also a lesser-known fact about soils rich in organic matter – they act as natural carbon sinks which means that they play a role in mitigating climate change. It may be small, but it’s still meaningful – small inputs can have big impacts.

UK farming policies are geared towards sustainable practices, including the maintenance of soil quality. Landowners who neglect soil health risk losing potential subsidies as well as risking the long-term value and use of their land.

You have to look under the surface if you’re trying to identify healthy soil. A well-structured soil has stable aggregates that allow air and water to move freely (which is essential for root development). Organic matter (decomposed plant material) improves fertility and its water retention capacity. Healthy soils also contain earthworms, fungi, bacteria, and other organisms which help cycle nutrients and encourage plant growth.

Soil pH is just as important, as this will dictate what nutrients are available in the soil to maintain biodiversity. Most crops in the UK do well in soils with a pH of between 6 and 7. If the soil is too acidic or alkaline then productivity may be limited.

Taking note of growth patterns can give you clues about your soil’s health. If there is uneven growth, discolouration, or strutted development, then there may be an underlying soil issue.

You can get lots of information about the health of your soil through soil testing. For farmland and larger plots, it’s recommended that soil tests are carried out every two to three years. Visual inspection is also important – checking for signs of erosion, water drainage, and the earthworm population can give immediate insight into the condition of your soil. Some landowners may choose professional soil testers who will provide detailed reports and give a well-rounded advice about soil health and signposting for remediation if needed.

Improving soil health isn’t a quick fix – it can be an ongoing process that needs knowledge and some careful and strategic management. Adding compost to soil will increase the amount of organic matter, as will adding green manures, or planting cover crops that return nutrients to the soil. To avoid any kind of soil compaction, heavy machinery should be used sparingly, especially if the soil is wet.

To reach an appropriate pH, lime can be added to acidic soils, and sulphur can balance alkaline soils, but this should only be done after soil testing results have been analysed. Crop rotation brings nutrient balance to soils – legumes for instance naturally replenish nitrogen in soil.

A variety of plants and vegetation can help create thriving ecosystems. Crops and hedgerows help protect soil against erosion and reduce the need for chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

Seasonal changes have a bearing on soil health, as management can be adapted to suit. For example, in spring, soil testing, liming, and planting cover crops are key, whilst summer needs careful monitoring of moisture levels. Crop rotation is ideal in autumn as is adding organic matter. Working with wet soils during the winter should be avoided so that vegetation cover can be maintained.

It’s so worth investing in the health of your soil – there will be higher crop yields, the quality of the plants will be improved, and you could save money on costly chemicals and irrigation. Environmentally speaking, you’ll be doing your bit for water quality and biodiversity, and from a financial perspective you’ll be investing in the future of your land’s value.