Plants not only respond to the environment but also actively shape the soil around them. Specifically, the reciprocal interactions between plants and soil microbes (i.e., plant-soil feedback, PSF) are increasingly recognized as a process structuring plant communities. However, current theories often assume simplified microbial dynamics and constant interaction strengths between plants and soil microbes. In this talk, I will explore the often-neglected temporal complexity of plant-soil microbe interactions, many of which are integral to the system’s natural history, and their influence on our interpretation of plant-soil feedback in a natural context. First, I will show results for Mediterranean annual plants, where the interplay between natural seasonal delays and litter dynamics prevents the direct extrapolation of plant-soil feedback measurements across multiple seasons. Second, I will show results from a subtropical forest, where the demographic status of canopy adults impacts microbial effects experienced by seedlings. In both cases, I will explore how this temporal complexity affects microbial community composition and their subsequent impact on plant performance. By integrating empirical and theoretical approaches, I hope to provide a roadmap for more nuanced predictions of the long-term consequences of plant-soil microbe interactions in nature.