The journey of soil is a vortex

The soil encompassing a plant

will circulate as a slow-moving,

granular vortex.

This facilitates the even distribution of nutrients around the entirety of the root system.

This movement is imperceptible to the human eye,

however there are simple methods

of demonstrating the process.

  A pebble tossed would be drawn down into the soil by the vortex. Three years later,  would be in time to see the stone re-emerge.

You may have noticed small bags of brightly-coloured polished stones for sale under the 'pot comet' brand in garden centres.

These “decorative soil circulators,”

are overpriced for what they are.

You would achieve the same result using aquarium gravel.

In the northern hemisphere soil circulation occurs in a clockwise direction and this is reflected in the grain of the soil around a plant.

Northern specimens that have been transplanted below the equator will continue to circulate soil clockwise (the inverse is true in specimens transplanted from south to north).

Training a plant to turn the soil in the opposite direction

can bring about marked changes to its development.

The Travers Cider Co-Op farms both

clockwise and counter-clockwise orchards.

Trees that can be trained to circulate soil counter-clockwise produce larger, sweeter apples.

Travers sells ciders made from both variants,

side by side on tap.

Somewhat more implausibly, the chef, claims that root vegetables taste better in stews when stirred in a clockwise direction that mirrors their growing environment.

Soil circulation adheres to a uniform spiral pattern, but occurs at different speeds depending upon the plant.

That is why the dimensions of a pot are so important. Plants and seeds sold by respectable growers will incorporate a three letter code somewhere on the label, that will assist in selecting the most suitable vessel. There are websites where you can enter this code and be directed to a list of sellers who can provide you with the required container.

Because of the dimensions of a soil vortex, a round pot is regarded as the optimal shape. In a square pot, nutrients can be scattered into the pockets of earth in the corners, where they are unable to re-enter the vortex and estranged from the root system. The corners will also exert a braking effect on a vortex, slowing it down and consequently impeding the development of the plant. Square pots have their place. They are useful in terms of allowing sick plants to shake off root parasites, for example.

Beyond the realm of the potted plant,there was a farmer  who was obsessed with getting the soil in his field up to a rotational speed where it would support a wheat crop. Apparently you can't grow wheat from a standing start. You have to get another crop in first to establish a soil vortex.

Much of this land backed onto the river.

The banks were infested by shoe oyster burrows,

upon which he saddled much of the blame for his agricultural woes.

The oysters were actually really good to eat.

He should have farmed them instead.