Soil Strategy: Low Fertility at First, Biodiversity Later

One of the most counter-intuitive lessons I’ve learned is that improving the soil too early can actually make life harder. In a dry climate like mine, adding lots of compost or manure at the beginning wakes up aggressive weeds, speeds up water loss, and pushes young plants to grow too fast before their roots reach depth. So instead of enriching the soil from day one, I let the land stay “tough” during the establishment phase.

My first goal is stability, not fertility. I plant directly into the existing soil without adding anything except a small pocket of loosened earth around each rootball. This keeps weed pressure low and forces the plants to root deeply right away. Species like locust, prunus, mulberry, sea buckthorn, and rose actually perform better when the soil isn’t overly rich in their first years.

Mulch is the one thing I do add, but only lightly and only where the plants are. I spread branches, small sticks, shredded prunings, or any free organic matter I can collect. This protects moisture, slows down weed growth, and gradually feeds the soil. It’s slow-release fertility, and because the mulch is woody, it doesn’t overload the system with nutrients.

As the shrubs and trees establish, they start building the soil for me. Leaves fall, roots die back and regrow, and shade increases. Over time, the soil becomes richer and more stable without any external inputs. That’s the moment when I introduce more biodiversity—groundcovers, herbs, nitrogen-fixers, bulbs, and self-seeding perennials. The forest is ready to support them because it has already created its own microclimate.

By resisting the urge to “fix” the soil too early, I’m letting the system develop on its own terms. Once the structure is in place and the shade begins to deepen, the soil steadily transforms into something far more fertile and alive than if I had tried to force it from the beginning.

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