Questions tagged [soil-amendment]
About modifying a soil's content.
156
questions
13
votes
2answers
3k views
Adding worms to clay soil - worth it?
I have a large area of miserable clay soil which I'm looking to start rehabilitating. For the past 15 years it's been neglected and had nothing but some unwanted grass. It's very compacted due to ...
1
vote
1answer
19 views
Grape vine why is it drying up
So I planted this grapevine in spring. It started from a little twig was growing beautifully health all green and vibrant but like five weeks ago started seeing leafs drying up see below pix(the leafs ...
2
votes
0answers
21 views
Whats up with my grapevine
Im located in south Jersey
Soil is clay but was amended with leafcompost, micronutrients stuff and topped with 4" woodchips. Only watered it when planted and monitored the moister level before ...
0
votes
1answer
38 views
Does disintegrating perlite produce clay?
Perlite sand is extremely fine. Is it clay? Will it cake up my soil over a long period of time(e.g.10 years)?
0
votes
0answers
38 views
What natural substance can I use to up the pH balance?
What can be used as a natural pH up substance for my medical marijuana plants water? I have them growing in soil & have been using citrus powder to lower my ph.
3
votes
1answer
56 views
Keep adding, but never removing soil in a raised bed ...how is that possible?
All the advice seems to be to add a few inches of compost every fall to a raised bed, but no one mentions taking soil out; how can you just keep adding soil to a raised bed ...I mean surely it will ...
1
vote
3answers
349 views
Does "adding iron to the soil" make sense?
Some people believe discarding iron items e.g. screws in the soil "make is rich in iron, for the good of the plants". This is in the context of the dark soil in northern Bulgaria. Safety ...
2
votes
0answers
31 views
Deiffenbachia (Dumb Cane) houseplant
I have watered it according to the instructions, my indoor temp is around 70-75 F° I moved it closer to this backdoor about a week ago and haven’t given it any nutrients after transplant.
1
vote
1answer
24 views
Cover crop and rehab or amend and plant
I just pulled up a rather sad potato crop and was considering putting down some winter squash. I tested the soil and it's got low nitrogen and phosphorus. I would like to build up healthy soil. Should ...
1
vote
0answers
34 views
Geotechnical Engineering Classification and Percolation
I plan a project that is 4’ below ground and it’s a safe diy, I plan to place 2500lb limestone blocks for seating and don’t want them to sink or flood in the 10x10x4 hole..
Our soil classification is ...
1
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0answers
4 views
How far away should I plant new citrus tree?
My two 12-year-old orange trees did not recover from the hard freeze in the Houston area earlier this year. I have given time for new growth and cut a couple branches to check for green wood. Nada. ...
2
votes
1answer
46 views
How much peat moss would I need to lower the ph of my soil
I had my soil tested. The ph is 8.2. What is the best product to lower the ph. I’m reading about sulfur, aluminum sulfate and peat moss. Peat moss looks like the best bet but how much do I need to ...
1
vote
2answers
40 views
How to amend existing soil in raised beds?
What is the favored way to lighten & amend soil inside a raised bed? My raised beds are aluminum troughs with volumes of 220 gallons. They are 2 x 2 x 8ft. We've been using them for a few years to ...
3
votes
3answers
91 views
A section of land/soil is bad due to salt? How to fix?
A section of a alfalfa farm soil is bad. It is told that the cause is salty soil. What can be done to fix the soil?
Update edit
As requested by @csk , the source of the salt is: well, the land has ...
1
vote
2answers
28 views
Is this growing medium good for compost?
This straw-like growing medium was used to grow dhingri (oyster) mushroom. However, due to climate getting hotter here, the mushroom died, and now I am thinking if this medium is suitable for compost ...
1
vote
2answers
188 views
Vermiculate has a bad history of being tainted with asbestos; what about perlite?
I avoid vermiculite because of its horrible history of being tainted with asbestos. Wikipedia states that, nowadays, vermiculite is supposed to be tested for asbestos, but knowing a bit about testing ...
6
votes
2answers
354 views
What makes Ammonium Sulfate a soil acidifier but not Potassium Sulfate
Adding elemental Sulphur is a common practice to lower pH of soil. Ammonium Sulfate can also have the same effect.
I read that Potassium Sulfate and Magnesium Sulfate may not have the same acidifying ...
1
vote
1answer
34 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, ...
1
vote
0answers
68 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
36 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
106 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
48 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
40 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
68 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, ...
3
votes
4answers
452 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?
...
1
vote
0answers
30 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, ...
2
votes
2answers
45 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
36 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 ...
2
votes
0answers
112 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 ...
2
votes
4answers
6k 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?
0
votes
1answer
261 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
41 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 ...
1
vote
0answers
1k 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?
1
vote
2answers
338 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 ...
2
votes
3answers
2k 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 ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
Perlite and Vermiculite sustainability
Are perlite and vermiculite sustainable?
For potting mixes, I have to use quantities of perlite and vermiculite. But I am concerned about their sustainability, and how they are obtained.
1
vote
2answers
24 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
54 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!
1
vote
2answers
66 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 ...
2
votes
2answers
99 views
What element is needed to turn Hydrangea flowers blue?
What element is needed to turn Hydrangeas blue? Is it sulfur or aluminum?
0
votes
1answer
99 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 ...
9
votes
4answers
2k 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
48 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.
3
votes
1answer
86 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?
1
vote
2answers
241 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
47 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%?
3
votes
2answers
255 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 ...
4
votes
3answers
5k 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 ...
8
votes
2answers
388 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
votes
1answer
36 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 ...
