The Soil Succession Series
The Soil Succession Series applies the biological principles of ecological succession to real-world soil management across farms, turf systems, gardens, and home landscapes.
Each book is designed to help growers and land stewards understand how soil biology develops over time — and how practical management decisions can guide that development toward greater stability, resilience, and long-term productivity.
Together, these books form a practical framework for working with soil as a living system.
Current Books in the Series
Succession-Based Compost Systems
A practical field manual for building compost that supports biological soil development
Succession-Based Turf Management
A practical guide to building biologically stable turf systems through better carbon, nitrogen, and soil structure management.
Building Living Soil for Grazing Systems
This guide explores how soil biology and succession influence pasture productivity, forage quality, and long-term land health. Practical strategies help ranchers and land managers strengthen soil structure, improve water retention, and support resilient grazing systems.
Succession-Based Corn & Soybean Management.
Applying soil biology principles to row crop systems through succession-based thinking
Healthy Soil, Healthy Lawn & Garden
Helping homeowners build healthier lawns, gardens, and landscapes by supporting soil biology from the ground up.
The Soil Succession Map illustrates the biological progression that occurs in healthy soil systems over time.
Every landscape—whether a farm field, lawn, pasture, or garden—moves along a succession pathway. Early stages are dominated by rapid bacterial activity and nutrient volatility. As soils mature, fungal networks, biological diversity, and structural stability increase.
The books in the Soil Succession Series explore how practical management decisions can guide this progression toward healthier, more resilient soil.
Understanding succession changes how we manage land—from reacting to problems toward guiding biological development.
Upcoming Books
Soil Biology for Perennial Cropping Systems
A practical look at how soil succession influences perennial crops such as orchards and vineyards. This book explains how compost, biological diversity, and thoughtful soil management support long-term productivity and plant health.
Practical Soil Stewardship for Productive Land
A guide for landowners managing gardens, livestock, orchards, and small farms. Learn how soil succession, compost, and biological stewardship can help small acreages become productive, resilient, and sustainable.
Intensive Production on Living Soil
Designed for market growers, this guide explains how soil biology can support intensive vegetable production. Topics include compost systems, soil structure, nutrient cycling, and building resilient growing systems on small acreage.