Soil your Undies!

Biology within the soil is responsible for consuming all kinds of organic materials and breaking them down as a part of the nutrient cycle. This simple experiment asks you to bury your undies to provide a tasty meal for soil biology; the quicker the undies are consumed the more active your soil biology is.

Burying your undies is an easy way to compare the biological activity in different soil types, at numerous locations on the farm, in various crop types, in garden beds, under a variety of watering regimes or even in different environments. Just remember to let us know where you have them buried when you send back the soiled undies.

1. To be eligible for this project you must conduct this experiment in the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape region. A description and map of the region can be found at The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape region
2. Register for the Soil Your Undies Challenge at: Register for Soil Your Undies
3. Once registered we will mail you your pair of 100% cotton undies along with your ‘Undies Instruction Kit’.
4. Bury your pair of undies at two sites in your garden, farm or compost during national science week 14-22 August 2021
5. Fill in the data sheets on where you buried the two pairs of undies. These two sites can be used to compare your own soil health or your own soil experiment.
6. Dig up your pair of undies in the week of the 4 October
7. Follow the undies kit instructions and bag and mail the undies back to us for weighing
8. We will return your soiled undies results and provide information about improving soil health and function for enhanced sustainability.
9. Each entrant will be in the running to win a gardening prize pack!