Photo by Antonio Foncubierta

There’s an easy way to test whether your garden soil has a healthy population of bacteria, worms, and more: bury a pair of 100 percent cotton underwear, and wait two months.




The Soil Conservation Council of Canada rolled out the idea recently, for National Soil Conservation Week. To join in, dig an underwear-sized hole about six inches deep, lay the undies flat, and cover them over with dirt. If you leave the waistband sticking out of the ground, that makes it easier to find at the end of the experiment. You can also mark your experiment with a flag.


The soil council wants you to post the results on social media and with the tag #SoilYourUndies. Silliness aside, this is a pretty good project to see what your dirt is like and to talk to kids (or just geek out yourself) about the cycle of nutrients in your garden. If the undies don’t disintegrate in two months, add some compost, manure, or fertilizer to improve your soil.