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Ocyrus Erickson is the founder of Terra Preta LLC, a soil health consulting and functional landscaping company based in Palm Harbor. In this episode, we dig into the invisible world beneath your lawn — and why what's happening underground affects everything from your plants to your family's health.

What You'll Learn:

• Why synthetic fertilizers are creating dependent, pest-prone plants — and what to do instead
• How weeds are actually diagnostic tools that tell you exactly what's wrong with your soil
• What functional landscaping is and how it can reduce your maintenance costs and chemical exposure
• The surprising link between residential lawn chemicals and serious health conditions like Parkinson's
• Simple first steps for improving soil health in a raised bed or existing yard

About Ocyrus Erickson: Ocyrus is a Palm Harbor native and founder of Terra Preta LLC, a soil health consulting and functional landscaping company. His work is grounded in the science of soil microbiology — the billions of organisms living beneath our feet that determine how healthy our plants, properties, and communities can be. He also creates microscopic art photography to show people the invisible world he talks about every day.

• 🌐 Website: terrapretallc.com
• 🎨 Microscopic art: Microscopic Marvels US on Etsy
• 📍 Palm Harbor Library gallery — check for current exhibit

📬 Join the Palm Harbor Local newsletter: palmharborlocal.com

If this episode made you look at your yard differently, leave us a review and share it with a neighbor who cares about living cleaner and healthier here on the Gulf Coast.

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