Soil is not simply "dirt." It supplies plants with important nutrients, and is home to billions of organisms that feed plants and fight pests.

Mr. Jabr is the author of “Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life.” When my partner and I bought our home in Portland, Ore., four years ago, we immediately began designing our dream garden, ...

Researchers are discovering that listening to the soil can be a way to understand biodiversity belowground without having to overturn every bit of the land. Studies have shown that soils of restored ...