The previous five parts cover the why and the how. This final part is the when — a month-by-month rhythm for keeping your soil biology alive through a Salmon Arm / BC Interior year, plus a consolidated quick reference of every amendment and application rate we've discussed in the course.
The calendar is a suggestion, not a schedule. Adapt to your actual weather, your own observations, and the specific zones on your land. The goal is to develop a rhythm — something you come back to every year and refine.
Seasonal Soil Care Calendar — Salmon Arm, BC
| Season | Actions | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| March–April | Apply compost tea to beds as soil warms. Top-dress with vermicompost. Plant cover crops in empty beds. Begin hot compost pile. | Activate biology waking from winter |
| May–June | Mulch all beds heavily (8–15 cm). Plant out transplants. First comfrey chop-and-drop. | Protect moisture; suppress weeds biologically |
| July–August | Second comfrey chop. Apply FPJ foliar if growth stalls. Harvest IMO if desired. Begin fall compost pile. | Maintain biology through heat stress |
| September–October | Heavy compost application to all beds. Plant garlic with compost. Seed cover crops in cleared beds. Collect leaves for cold compost pile. | Feed soil before freeze; build structure |
| November–February | Compost piles insulated with straw. Worm bin maintained indoors. Plan next year's rotations. Order rock dust, kelp, spawn. | Keep biology alive; plan improvements |
Quick Reference — Inputs at a Glance
Every amendment covered in the course, with application rate and primary purpose. Keep this open the first season you implement the course — you'll refer back to it often.
| Amendment | Application Rate | Primary Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Hot compost | Apply 2–5 cm to garden beds spring / fall | Bacterial inoculant + fertility for annuals |
| Cold / fungal compost | Mulch 5–10 cm around trees + perennials | Fungal inoculant + long-term humus |
| Vermicompost (castings) | Top-dress 1–2 cm or brew into tea | Concentrated nutrients + biology |
| Compost tea (ACT) | 5:1 dilution, soil drench at dusk | Rapid biological inoculation of large areas |
| FPJ (Fermented Plant Juice) | 1:500 dilution, weekly soil drench | Local biology + mineral stimulation |
| Kelp meal | 250 g/m² once per year | Trace minerals + growth hormones |
| Rock dust / basalt | 500 g–1 kg/m² at establishment | Silicate mineral matrix for long-term fertility |
| Biochar (charged) | 250 g/m², mixed into top 10 cm | Microbial habitat; carbon sequestration |
| Comfrey chop-and-drop | 4–6x per season at tree drip lines | Mineral cycling; fungal food; free mulch |
| IMO (Indigenous Microorganisms) | 1:500 dilution, soil drench | Hyperlocal microorganism reintroduction |
You don't have to do all of this. Pick one new practice per season. The biology will tell you what's working — darker soil, more earthworms, less irrigation needed, more pollinators, better flavour in the food. The feedback loop is real. Trust it.
The Course Is Yours Now
Thank you for reading. This course is free and will stay free — it's our contribution to the homestead community that taught us. If it helped you, pass it on. Share it with someone who's trying to figure out their first compost pile, their first forest garden, their first year reading the land that feeds them.
The Living Soil Course · Complete