This special issue commemorates the 30 years that Hans Lambers has been Editor in Chief of Plant and Soil. It is an eclectic volume, which brings together 44 papers, comprising reviews (including four Marschner reviews), opinion papers, commentaries, methods papers and original research articles, and one obituary that cover the depth and breadth of science we have come to expect from Plant and Soil. In this editorial we have taken the opportunity to reflect on the impact, direction and highlights of Plant and Soil over the last 30 years and how this has developed under the editorship of Hans Lambers. We highlight the significance of the Marschner reviews and the Special Issues published in the past 30 years. Particular attention has been paid also to the most impactful papers published in Plant and Soil during Hans Lambers’ tenure as Editor in Chief. Finally, we provide an insight into how things have changed from the perspective of the Editor in Chief himself.