HG Quick Tip: Keep your precious soil microbes alive and well with a hose filter. – Hope Gardens Hope Gardens HG Quick Tip: Keep your precious soil microbes alive and well with a hose filter. – Hope Gardens

One of the easiest ways to keep your soil healthy is to invest in a hose filter. A hose filter will keep the chlorine in your tap water from killing the microbes in your compost and soil and keep your garden organic.

A whole-house-filter would be GREAT but it’s a little expensive and some work to install. A filter on your hose is an important fix that is easy, relatively inexpensive and super effective.

Microbes in your soil make your soil ALIVE. You want your veggies growing in the best soil possible and the best soil is fertile, nutrient-rich and teeming with life . The life in your soil is provided in part by healthy bacteria and fungi. These living organisms help provide water to the roots of your plants and move nutritional minerals into your veggies. Microbes create a healthy “soil web” in your garden that supports earthworms and other soil creatures, help your plants fight disease and they even fight compaction in the soil. There are more microbes in a teaspoon of soil than there are people on the earth – now don’t let your city tap water ruin all that.

Keep your soil as healthy as possible and water your plants and your compost with a filtered hose. Below is a link to the one I use. I have one installed on my front and back yard hoses and I replace it every year. It’s a fantastic investment.

There’s also a link to my favorite hose. It’s a lifesaver. So light and yet so durable. Stay tuned for more information on my favorite products. Garden tools and resources can be really helpful and my students are often wondering what products I use. I hope you find these recommendations helpful. Happy Gardening Warriors!