Translations:Benutzer:Arian/Klett-Mini-Test/1130/en

What plays itself out in the compost heap — raised above the level of the soil as an artificial-artistic process, the earthing of former higher life into stable humus — takes place in a more concealed manner in all soils, wholly naturally in forest soils. On arable and garden soils this happening is, guided by soil cultivation (see p. 205 ff.), brought to a higher level of fertility. Green manure serves this aim as well: a cultivation of fast-growing grasses, crucifers, legumes and others, devoted specifically to the supply of humus. The wilted green masses of the ground cover supply the nutritive humus for breakdown stages 1 and 2, whereas the root mass remaining in the soil serves above all in building-up stages 3 and 4 for the formation of stable humus.