You don’t need any fancy gear to get a sense of how healthy your soil is — just a spade, your senses, and a few minutes in the paddock. These quick, hands-on checks are simple ways to connect with your whenua and spot changes early.
1. Smell it
Healthy soil has that rich, earthy smell we all know. If it smells sour, stagnant, or rotten, it could point to poor drainage, compaction, or a lack of oxygen in the soil.
2. Look at the structure
Dig up a spadeful and see how it holds together. Good soil will crumble easily into small aggregates, with visible roots running through it. If it’s blocky, smeared, or hard to break apart, you may be dealing with compaction or low organic matter
3. Check for life
Break the sample apart and look for earthworms, beetles, and other soil critters. The more life you see, the better your soil is likely to be cycling nutrients, holding water, and building resilience.
These quick checks form part of the Visual Soil Assessments used in the Rere ki uta rere ki tai – Living Soil Project, helping farmers and researchers monitor soil health and track improvements through different management practices.
Have you tried these checks on your farm this spring? We’d love to hear what you found.
