Question
What is Cation Exchange Capacity, and how does CEC affect overall health of a
plant?

Answer
Hi Heather, here's a simple explanation as it pertains to soils.  Many plant foods (Nitrogen, Etc.) are positively charged particles (cations). They are attracted to negatively charged soil particles.  CEC is a measure of the total cations the soil can absorb. Soils rich in organic matter tend to have high CEC and pH can also have an effect on the CEC.  So the CEC has an effect on nutrient availability to the plant.  Jim