This is what happens, when cultural soils (soils in agricultural use) are not tended to properly. This picture was taken just after a rain (summer 06) and enven though the soil is still damp, it is already cracking. Without humus, there is no cohesion in the soil. To return life to a particlar soil, humus must be built up again. Humus, is not just organic matter, but a complex aggregate of minerals, moisture, air and warmth, a fine composition of nutrients in delicate, but sophisticated bonds with a high level of moisture retention and nutrient availability. It is a funny thing, this humus. It is like an organ in the soil. It is what happens when in nature (or in a compost pile) just the right ingredients are cooked and instead of all decaying into mere salts (minerals), water and organic matter, a re-combination of elements occurs and humus results. It is the end product of a process of death, decay and rebirth. Mixed, temperate forests know how to do this the best of all ecosytems, with a steady build up of humus over the years. We can learn from this in viticulture!
