Flemish soil has narrowly passed the "underpants test", research by the Rural Guilds shows. Last spring 500 Flemish people were asked to bury their underpants in the garden. When the underpants were dug up again, half had completely decomposed. 30 per cent of the soils lacked enough bacteria and insects in the soil: there the underpants emerged from the soil almost intact.
What is the state of soil in Flanders? The Rural Guild found the answer to that question by looking at underpants. "Underpants underground", challenged 500 Flemings to bury a pair of underpants in their garden to see what their soil quality was like.
After several months underground, the underpants were dug up again. "A pair of cotton pants is completely organic and thus tasty food for bacteria, fungi and insects. So burying underpants is the ideal test to see if those bugs are present," says Saartje Deroost of the Rural Guilds. What turns out? Soil life narrowly passed the underpants test.
52 per cent of the 500 registered underpants came out of the ground virtually digested. That means there were a lot of bacteria, fungi and insects present there doing their thing. "Often, only the elastic bands and some thick seams remained."
But the other half of the pants tell a less positive story: 20 per cent of the underpants were partially decomposed and 28 per cent of the pants came out of the ground almost intact. "Not enough critters in the soil, in other words. There could be several reasons for that, but the figure shows there is margin for improvement," Deroost continues.
Soil analysis
Why is there so little life present in the soil in almost 1 in 3 cases? Soil may be too wet or too dry, or too much fertiliser may have been used. "Whatever the reason, it is important to know this before investing in plants or a landscaped garden," say the Rural Guilds.
Soils with less life in them tend to be less fertile, making plants and trees less likely to grow there. "Leaving grass clippings is one way to enrich soils," says Deroost. "Conducting a soil analysis with a DIY soil kit or with the help of a professional can also be a big help."
Even for people who did not take part in the survey, burying a pair of pants can be a good idea. "The campaign may have ended, but if you want to test how your soil is doing yourself, you can always bury a pair of pants for a few months and see how many critters are present at your place," Deroost concludes.
