Questions tagged [soil-amendment]
About modifying a soil's content.
3
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3answers
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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 ...
7
votes
2answers
100 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
27 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 ...
4
votes
2answers
66 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%...
4
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1answer
55 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
87 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 ...
3
votes
1answer
56 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 ...
3
votes
3answers
275 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?
5
votes
4answers
202 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 ...
5
votes
2answers
89 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 ...
5
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2answers
71 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?
2
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2answers
25 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
votes
1answer
54 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 ...
5
votes
5answers
196 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
votes
1answer
562 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
votes
0answers
135 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
votes
1answer
73 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
votes
2answers
77 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 ...
4
votes
2answers
84 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 ...
8
votes
5answers
652 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, ...
4
votes
3answers
1k views
how to increase Phosphorous, Potassium and Calcium in lawn soil
I recently used my local extension service to do a soil test. I did this before I fertilized for the spring so I got a post-winter reading on the soil. They said my lawn was very low in Phosphorous, ...
3
votes
2answers
165 views
Reviving some soil using fertilizer, how long to wait before planting?
I had a planter full of a nice soil mixture but let it go dormant and dry out for a year or two. Recently I have kept it around some other plants, exposed it to more light, and applied fertilizer (...
4
votes
1answer
458 views
What are the long term effects of adding iron oxide pigments to soil?
Iron oxide (Pigment Black 11) is a intense black non toxic and very cheap pigment.
I think I have read somewhere that soil from shops is sometimes pigmented with iron oxide because it sells better. ...
6
votes
1answer
2k views
Is dry sphagnum moss dead?
When you buy dried/dehydrated, compacted bricks of sphagnum moss from gardening suppliers and stores, etc., is it supposed to be alive, and/or able to grow, upon rehydration? Or is it dead?
I bought ...
6
votes
2answers
145 views
What is the benefit of using peat?
What is the point of adding peat (peat-moss/sphagnum-peat/sedge-peat/etc.) to soils and substrates? What benefit does it provide?
I like the texture of it, and being that it's composed of partially ...
7
votes
4answers
4k views
How can I soften clay soil and enrich it for plants?
A few years ago, we used a clay type soil for filling holes in
our garden. Later the soil became very hard and most of our plants and trees are not healthy. Only unwanted plants are growing.
Is ...
11
votes
1answer
12k views
Why it is bad to add sand to soil?
Motivation: this comment from stormy:
And DO NOT ADD SAND to garden soil!!! ARRRGGHH. Again, when one takes clay soil, gravel, lime, gypsum, water and then ROTATE what does one get? Concrete. Sand ...
5
votes
5answers
411 views
Is wood ash from black locust harmful to plants?
Black walnut has juglone in it, which can be harmful to other plants. I've read claims that you shouldn't use black walnut for wood ash in your garden because of this, although I'm not sure if that's ...
8
votes
3answers
524 views
What relevance does fungal dominance have to a vegetable garden?
I'm mainly attempting to grow vegetables for my family so basically Brassicaceae, Umbelliferae, Asparagaceae, and Solanaceae. I'm certainly not attempting to establish an old forest or even a food ...
5
votes
1answer
76 views
Should I add soil with living things, like worms, to a potting mix?
I normally just buy in seedlings from big box stores since I am too disorganised to start my own seedlings in time. However, this year I did manage to get some seeds into the seed raising mix, and ...
3
votes
1answer
585 views
Is it helpful to add coffee grounds to a droopy mother-in-law's tongue?
I have a mother-in-law's tongue, Sansevieria trifasciata, that's getting a bit yellow and slightly droopy. A friend recommended that I add some coffee grounds to the soil, which I've been doing, but I'...
13
votes
3answers
2k views
Will applying twenty year old cow manure hurt my vegetable garden?
I'm cleaning out my barn. It's old cow manure that's been in there for 20 years. I put a bunch of it on the garden, which has clay soil. I'm growing tomatoes, peppers and onions.
Will this hurt my ...
6
votes
2answers
216 views
Laying new topsoil, what if anything to mix in for worms or to kickstart healthy ecosystem?
For reasons that would take too long to go into (tl;dr version - a combination of mass gradual soil movement needing soil engineering, bad development, old paving/topslabs, + ground levelling to ...
5
votes
1answer
41 views
Is there a soil sieving and packing procedure to ensure equal moisture distribution?
I would like to know if there's a way to ensure every sample has the same initial conditions when performing soil experiments. The samples are going to be enclosed in containers of 13 cm height and 18 ...
8
votes
3answers
468 views
In store-bought fertilizer for camellias, what's the difference between NPK 10-10-10 and say 4-4-4?
I'm looking to buy fertilizer for my camellias. I read on a couple of websites to use 8-8-8 or 10-10-10, but when I search online many brands sell fertilizers for camellias that have different ...
3
votes
2answers
406 views
What is the correct ratios for Epsom Salt and Gypsum solutions?
I want to use solutions of Gypsum and Epsom Salts to augment the nutrients in my pot plants. They seem to be having some mineral deficiencies. I'm wondering what is the correct amount of Calcium ...
4
votes
1answer
158 views
Returning a garden paved for 30 years with packed clay below, back to lawn
My new rear garden has had concrete slab paving for decades, resting on heavily packed and deep London Clay soil and a small amount of odd rubble. The paved area measures about 6x7m. The soil under ...
4
votes
1answer
255 views
How can I treat nutrient burnt basil seedlings?
I grow basil plants from seed. They're approximately 1 month old. I gave them a little pigeon manure, and I think I burnt them. How can I normalize the soil and plant? Thanks.
3
votes
1answer
225 views
What should I do after oak tree removal, before paving?
I recently had a huge oak tree removed. It was ground to a stump. I'm going to pave that area soon. Do I need to do anything to the area before paving? Someone told me to put salt in the soil.
3
votes
2answers
367 views
Does it make sense to mix dead fig leaves in my soil?
I garden in an "arid desert" zone, with almost no rain and little vegetation. We have a number of fig trees, which I recently cut back. I separated the leaves from the twigs.
I've read that desert ...
3
votes
2answers
152 views
Sod not getting enough water?
I had sod installed about 12 days ago and its taking really well in 95% of the yard, nice and green and is taking root. There are a few sprinklers near the back brick wall that are not far enough back ...
4
votes
1answer
62 views
What mixture of liquid soap to water should I use for soil with high silicon content?
I want to use my Miracle-Gro spray attachment for spraying a soap solution on my lawn and plants since I have very high silicon in my soil. we used Naiad wetting agents on the golf course where I ...
6
votes
1answer
42 views
What to do with strawberry plants planted in a soil with lot of nitrogen in it?
When I planted my strawberry plants which I bought from Walmart into a 2.5' (Length) x 2.5' (Width) x 10" (Depth) cedar planter, I filled ~5" with top soil and then layered about an inch of steer ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
What leaves should I feed worms?
I know that in real life worms will eat both fresh and dry leaves at night or when it rains.
I am not putting earthworms in the soil yet but I will soon.
I am trying earthworms and mix of old and ...
6
votes
2answers
58 views
For how much area should I amend the soil for a given plant?
My question is not about depth, but area. For a given individual plant, do I amend the soil for an area the size of its seed spacing recommendation (12 in., etc.)? Or is less required? I am a ...
7
votes
1answer
51 views
What is the name of the French pioneer of organic/sustainable farming?
I can't remember his name. I think he was active in the 50's to 70's. His techniques involved creating berms of fallen branches and twigs, and later incorporating the decayed matter into his soils.
...
19
votes
9answers
4k views
Amending clay soil on a large scale
What would be the best way to amend clay soil on half an acre? We want to grow our usual garden plants like tomatoes, cucumbers and such but the soil on the land we just bought is small rocks and clay....
10
votes
3answers
150 views
What type of dirt to use for filling the backyard before preparing the vegetable beds?
The backyard of my house has a small slope and because of that little puddles of rain water are accumulating. Because of this, the mulch in the nearby vegetable beds are wet all the time. I want to ...
8
votes
3answers
981 views
How can I organically make the soil potassium rich?
I believed that my tomato plants suffer from potassium deficiency, and by searching it on google it states that I can easily fix it by putting potassium fertilizer in my soil.
I am now thinking on ...
7
votes
2answers
85 views
When to apply amendments to blueberries
I've got a blueberry in a pot that was repotted without amending the soil. Now it seems to be growing okay but rather then repotting it again, I'm wondering if I can apply a coffee grounds mulch while ...
