A lot of people ask: if you’ve got cheap, low-quality soil, can you just throw some fertilizer on top and call it a day? The short answer is: not really. Synthetic fertilizer gives plants a quick shot of nutrients, but it doesn’t fix the underlying problems of poor soil like low organic matter, bad structure, or no microbial life. You’ll see growth in the short term, but the soil itself doesn’t actually get any better. That’s why when Jacques set up this experiment, the difference was so clear.