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Questions tagged [soil-amendment]

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About modifying a soil's content.

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1answer
26 views

Soil improvement for poor-producing squash for next year

I have two 8x4 raised beds that I grow various vegetables in, alternating tomatoes in one or the other with the other being squash, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, and a few other vegetables. This year, ...
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0answers
31 views

Is it OK to put sod on top of gravel?

I have a small area (approx 400 sqft) near the pool where I'm looking to put down sod. I ordered the sod to be delivered today. Yesterday I used a mini tiller to loosen the dirt. I found that under ...
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1answer
30 views

How do I explore and make changes in my garden?

We recently bought and moved into our home. The previous owner set up some great plants (natives, water smart, fragrant and pollinator friendly) and trees with watering automation as well. The visible ...
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1answer
26 views

High Sulfur and alkaline pH on Soil Test for Bermuda Lawn

I did a My Soil Savvy test on my Bermuda lawn (Phoenix, AZ) and the Sulfur was 42.90ppm with a recommendation of 6-12. The test also showed my pH at 7.14. Any ideas on how to reduce the sulfur and ...
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1answer
26 views

Do I still need to water transplanted plants if they're being transplanted into a flood plain?

My mom, and I just transplanted 10 rhubarb plants (thinning 6 that were planted near each other), and I was wondering if there would be enough moisture in the soil to not need to water them (suction ...
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2answers
28 views

Poor draining sandy loam soil

I tested my soil and discoverd it has 10% clay, 29% silt, and 59% sand. I've noticed my soil sucks when it comes to draining water (unless it's slowly raining). Water will pool on the top of the ...
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1answer
61 views

UK equivalent of US University Soil “Extension” Offices

I recently found out that there is a (state?-)tax-funded community resource in the US associated with Land-Grant State Universities called "Extension Offices". They offer soil testing kits, ...
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2answers
51 views

How to make well-drained sandy soil from potting mix?

I want to plant sage, which is said to grow best in well-drained "sandy soil". I bought some potting mix from the hardware store. Is off-the-shelf potting mix already sandy, well drained soil? ...
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0answers
23 views

Improve soil in established flower garden

The soil in my garden is very hard; it's probably clay if I do just a little deep. However, I already have some plants established in my garden and I don't want to dig them up. It's a small area, ...
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2answers
31 views

Garden Soil Mix

First time gardener her. The wife and I decided to get our thumbs green and give veggies a go. We are going to be growing in buckets and garbage cans, and a few potato sacks. I was investigating ...
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1answer
30 views

What are the effects of planting potatoes as a 'cover crop' in newly forming soil as a pile of decaying wood chips?

Related to How do I plant potatoes that sprouted in my pantry? In a field I'm forming soil as mounds of wood chips with finished compost, muck, and soil mixed in, like small windrow planting beds. I ...
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34 views

Can we use coco and peat moss at same time?

As a soil mix, is it wise to use both coco peat and peat moss to have the good of both the worlds? Since some plants requires soil to dry out in between watering, peat moss will compact and pull ...
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4answers
3k views

Is Perlite safe to use in the home or will it cause health issues?

I'm new to indoor farming and I was wondering: Is it safe to use Perlite in the soil or should I stick to more natural organic materials like pumice or gritty gravel?
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1answer
82 views

Is yellow pumice/perlite a problem or indicator of bad quality?

The pumice is not in a pot, but still in the packaging, and I haven't put any water on it. Is this yellow pumice a problem or sign that the pumice is cheap/bad quality? I am not sure as a lava rock ...
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1answer
30 views

How much drainage in seedling potting mix?

I made my own seedling potting mix. It has 35% drainage and 65% water hold matter. Now, that I see it, I feel like it has too much drainage. I used roughly the same percentage of as Sungro's ...
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0answers
460 views

Is Natural Cinder a good soil amendment?

Found this online: Natural cinder of 4-8mm chunks a good stuff to add alongside perlite/pumice for succulents and other soil mix? EDIT: What about coal cinder?
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2answers
188 views

Gritty mix for cactus and succulents usage

I am seeing some gritty mixes for succulents and I cannot find any info on the product regarding it usage.. Will succulents or cactus do well if they are placed in those gritty mixes? Here are gritty ...
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3answers
987 views

Pumice or perlite for succulents?

Is pumice better for cactus and succulent mix and such than perlite? Is it all about the chunks? I am thinking of making my own soil mix for succulents and cactus and other plants like jade plants ...
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0answers
11 views

2 parts - Part 1 Does pure Diatomite crumble too much to use as a soil amendment?

or can it be washed cleaned & sifted it and used? I do this with shale rock and it works. Is Diatomite to crumbly? I can get diatomite rock, but I do not want to buy it if it's unusable. This is ...
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2answers
14 views

What should general PH and nutrient levels be for new planting bed after amendments?

I am planting a salad garden with lettuces, kale, spinach, root crops, pole beans, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. So many different PH level requirements and such for different plants are confusing ...
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1answer
31 views

Which plants relate simbiotically to chillis?

I have been reading about symbiotic plants and mutualism and I am wondering which plant to introduce to the pot of my perennial chilli plant. Any hints? thanks!
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2answers
53 views

Adding 10 cm of cow manure to my orchard in summer without hurting trees

I have bought an orchard recently which has 42 apples 26 walnuts and 27 and some other trees. I know that no fertilizer has been added to soil for at least 2 years. I have read that adding 10cm of ...
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2answers
83 views

What element is needed to turn Hydrangea flowers blue?

What element is needed to turn Hydrangeas blue? Is it sulfur or aluminum?
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1answer
69 views

What type of soil do I have

I was digging to see what kind of soil I have and I found this gray rust brown layer. It's like clay when compressed but kind of crumbles in chunks. It's around 6" from the top. I'm curious how this ...
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4answers
984 views

Excess Zinc in garden soil

I had the soil in one of my garden beds tested for a wide spectrum of minerals. This bed was originally filled with bought topsoil and mushroom compost, then it was cultivated with parsnips and ...
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1answer
39 views

Is there such a thing as ant castings?

I was reading that ants will kill worms off, so this got me wondering is there such a thing as ant castings since I've found that a type of stinging ants love to move into wood chip piles.
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1answer
82 views

What happens when you grow your plants in essentially worm castings?

I've heard of people adding worm castings to their garden soil, but what happens if you're on the worm casting extreme, and plant directly into worm castings?
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2answers
123 views

What is the difference between replacing soil and amending soil?

I came across this article and I find that it goes against everything that's said about soil amendment before planting. I've copied bits of it down below. You are planting a new tree, and you want ...
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2answers
43 views

Organic matter in organic fertilizer

Is organic matter (OM) in organic fertilizer important? Is higher OM better than lower OM? For example: NPK 3:2:2 OM 71% better than NPK 3:2:2 OM 60%?
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2answers
114 views

Crop rotation: by season instead of by year?

I have 3 raised beds in a small 30 m2 greenhouse, this is the first year I have it so I don't have much experience. I've been reading about crop rotation, and was wondering why you can't or shouldn't ...
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3answers
3k views

Can I improve clay-like soil with little stones?

I have these stones (formerly from a garden center and on top of weed-suppressing fabric in a flower bed for 10 years) and I'm wondering if I can just fork them into this soil. The soil currently ...
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2answers
298 views

how to fix soil with too little sand and clay?

I made a stupid mistake that has ruined my garden which I didn't realize until now. When moving in to my current house years ago, I tried to "improve" my garden soil by removing lots of soil and ...
4
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1answer
34 views

Replant to replace soil

I bought a little Zinfin Doll hydrangea and cleared a patch of some Annabelles that had used the soil for at least five years. (Their flowers unfortunately always grew too heavy for the stalks!) I ...
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2answers
346 views

How to amend clay soil to propagate trees for bare root distribution?

I intend to propagate trees and distribute them in bare root form after they grow for 1-3 years. Lots of good info on that process is available at https://depts.washington.edu/propplnt/Chapters/Bare%...
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1answer
87 views

What should I add to the soil to make my hydrangeas blue?

I am about to plant some new hydrangeas. What should I use to amend the soil with to make the hydrangeas blue?
6
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3answers
115 views

Can urine return moisture-holding capacity to the soil?

I've been urinating on dead lawns for a while. I consider myself an expert. In my home town we've been having a drought for some time; yet I had great success there, turning dried out, dying areas of ...
2
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1answer
325 views

Can blueberry bushes survive in clay soil long term with the right help?

Last year I planted three 1-year-old blueberry bushes in my back yard in clay soil and I've added several inches of mulch and soil amendments, but have a feeling that they won't do well in clay soil ...
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3answers
523 views

Is it good to add probiotics to your fermented plant juice?

I'm just wondering if adding some sort of bacteria like the ones you get in your probiotics supplements, can be good for your fermented plant juice?
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4answers
2k views

What are the cons of using aluminum sulfate and elemental sulfur as soil acidifiers?

I have a slightly high pH, 7.2. Nothing bad but I would like to bring it down a little. I was looking at two elements/products whatever you want to call them. One was Aluminum Sulfate and the other ...
6
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2answers
493 views

Does Kinnikinnick require soil amendment for planting

I intend to plant some ground cover on a small steep bank. The bank faces east and receives some shade from nearby trees and also some full sun. The total area is 180 sqft. There are 3 shrubs and a ...
6
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1answer
225 views

Will oyster mushrooms eat cooking oil?

I know oysters will eat engine oil, but cooking oil is a different type of chemical so is there any use in adding it to the substrate for growing mycelium?
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2answers
58 views

How do I properly amend soil in pots I used last year to grow tomatoes/peppers in Ohio?

I have half a dozen large pots (24"+) on my balcony which I've used for a couple of years to grow tomatoes, peppers and herbs. Last year I rotated several pots from tomato to peppers and vice versa, ...
3
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2answers
332 views

Egg shells and peanut casings in pot soil

I was reading up a few weeks ago on fertilizing and someone, somewhere said that grinding down egg shells would be a good idea to increase calcium in the soil. Now this made me save some egg shells ...
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5answers
437 views

Can biochar be created effectively in a cast iron bath?

I'm interested in making some biochar for my garden. I don't really want to pay an metal engineer to make an expensive Kon-Tiki Kiln, or even a much easier Pyramidal Kiln, and I don't have the energy ...
4
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2answers
10k views

What is Horticultural Grit?

I live the U.S. but I read UK gardening books. Can someone please explain what is "Horticultural Grit". What is it make of, what is the size of the particles? Is there some standard reference that ...
3
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0answers
230 views

How to transform an area of pasture to a vegetable garden?

What is the best way to transform a 300 m2 area of pasture land to a vegetable garden? I do not mean lawn, but real grassland previously cut down regularly by farmers to feed animals. https://www....
8
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1answer
82 views

Is it possible to modify soil pH with plants?

I have a very chalky soil and I'd like to decrease its pH. Are there plants that can effectively help correct the soil pH permanently?
3
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2answers
175 views

What is mushroom compost, exactly?

I just bought 25L of a product labelled: Organic Mushroom Compost. I know what I'm going to use it for, but am curious about the name. Today alone, I've read (and been given/told) at least 3 ...
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2answers
94 views

Watering plants with soaked forest soil

I am thinking of mixing forest soil with water and water plants with that. I was hoping that nutrients from soil would get released into the water, so in effect, fertilize the soil. I am not aware ...
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5answers
704 views

Medium you can add to soil to improve airiness and create loose soil

I am making a list of mediums that I can use to make soil more loose and improve airiness. Soil will be used primarily in pots. I am interested in both home made mediums and commercially available, ...

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