Just Good Soil Regenerative Gardening Principles: Cycle Nutrients Naturally
Just Good Soil

Just Good Soil Regenerative Gardening Principles: Cycle Nutrients Naturally

on  Jul 23, 2025  by  Chris Cerveny
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When the soil food web is healthy and diverse, it takes care of nutrient cycling for you, by breaking down organic matter, unlocking minerals, and delivering nutrients directly to plant roots through symbiosis. Allowing nutrients to cycle naturally is a foundational principle in regenerative gardening - it reduces reliance on external inputs and supports long-term soil fertility. 

Here are the key aspects of Natural Nutrient Cycling in Regenerative Gardening

Organic Matter Input
  • Why it matters: 
    - Organic matter is the base fuel for the soil food web. 
  • How to support it:
    - Add compost, worm castings, leaf mold, and aged manure.
    - Mulch with straw, shredded leaves, or plant residues (grass clippings, weed tops, etc.)  
  • Why it matters: 
    - Roots exude sugars and compounds that feed microbes, which in turn mobilize nutrients. 
  • How to support it:
    - Grow cover crops or perennial groundcovers during the off-season.
    - Practice succession planting or intercropping. 
  • Why it matters: 
    - Different plants exude different root juices and pull up different nutrients, promoting a balanced soil ecosystem.
  • How to support it:
    - Rotate crops annually.
    - Use companion planting or guild design. 
  • Why it matters: 
    - Microbes (bacteria, fungi, protozoa) transform organic matter into plant-available nutrients.
  • How to support it:
    - Avoid synthetic fertilizers, which disrupt microbial balance.
    - Add microbial inoculants and compost teas.
    - Minimize tillage to preserve fungal networks.
  • Why it matters: 
    - Tilling fields and excessive digging destroys soil structure and microbial habitats.
  • How to support it:
    - Use no-till methods like broadfork lifting instead of digging.
  • Why it matters: 
    - Keeping nutrients on-site reduces losses from leaching and runoff.
  • How to support it:
    - Start a compost pile for garden waste and kitchen scraps. 
    - Use chop-and-drop mulching from garden trimmings (like leaving the lawn clippings after mowing).
    - Add worms to your garden beds. 
  • Why it matters: 
    - Proper moisture supports microbial activity and nutrient mobility.
  • How to support it:
    - Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses.
    - Mulch to conserve moisture.
    - Build soil organic matter to increase water-holding capacity.

Special note - as a professional horticulturist with over 25 years of experience, I have developed several commercial products with compost as a core component. Here’s what you need to know: Compost is terribly inconsistent from a nutrient standpoint. Microbially, it’s awesome! But, essential plant nutrition needs to be consistent for the healthiest plants. The classic source is manure, but if you live in the city like me, you probably don't have farm animals either.

For best results, be sure to supplement your compost with organic fertilizers and soil food that have guaranteed amounts of N, P, K, and other essential elements. I only use organic inputs in my garden and there are several options available for purchase.

Conduct a soil test to determine how much to apply - either to your compost pile, or directly to your garden/soil.

This is especially important if you’re relying on compost to provide the bulk of your plant nutrients.