How to Pick the Best Garden Soil Amendments

Choosing the best garden soil amendments is vital for plant life. It improves the soil's structure, drainage, airflow, and ability to hold water. The idea is to create conditions surrounding the roots that are more favorable for the plant's growth so that it can flourish.

For soil amendments to work, they must be mixed into the soil correctly. Burying it makes it less effective and stops water and air from getting to the ground, slowing the growth of roots.

Even though many mulches also improve soil, mulching differs from amended soils. The mulch remains on the surface of the soil. Its purpose is to stop water from evaporating and running off, prevent weeds from growing, and make the area look better. Mulches also help to keep the soil temperature stable.

When organic mulches have served their purpose by decomposing, they can be put into the soil as amendments. There are several mulcher that can help you quickly much your garden especially if you have wide garden. 

Inorganic vs Organic Soil Amendments

Soil amendments can be classified as either "organic" or "inorganic." All organic soil amendments start with either plant- or animal-based sources. Plant-based amendments are derived from compost, green manure, and mulch. Animal-based amendments are derived from materials such as manure, bone meal, and blood meal. Inorganic amendments are derived from lime, sulfur, and rock phosphate.

Not all organic matters are suitable for the soil as amendments. Wood ash is an organic fertilizer with a high pH and salt content. It can make problems with the soil worse, so it shouldn't be used as an amendment. Don't mix sand into clay soil because it makes the soil hard, like concrete.

Incorporating organic matter into the soil is beneficial in numerous ways, and organic amendments are one way to do it. Over time, organic matter makes the soil better at letting air in, letting water in, and holding water and nutrients. Numerous organic alterations serve as natural fertilizers since they are rich in plant nutrients. Soil organisms, including bacteria, fungi, and earthworms, rely heavily on organic matter for energy.

Wood Products

Using wood products, which can bind the element nitrogen to the garden soil and may result in plant deficiencies. Soil bacteria use nitrogen to break down the wood. As microorganisms complete the rapid breakdown process, the nitrogen is released and made available to plants again over months or years. Because of its greater surface area, sawdust is a more dangerous alternative than wood chips.

Before adding wood products to garden soil, they should be composted. Add a source of nitrogen to the compost pile so that these things break down quickly. This could be grass clippings, manure, which is both high in nitrogen, or nitrogen fertilizer. Don't use wood or sawdust that hasn't broken down as a soil amendment. It takes years to decompose, ties up nitrogen, and makes it hard to prepare a seedbed. It also stops water from moving through the soil.

Sphagnum Peat and Mountain Peat

Sandier soils benefit greatly from sphagnum peat because it makes them better at keeping water. Since sphagnum peat is usually acidic (has a low pH), gardeners can use it to grow plants that like more acidic soil.

Sphagnum peat is a great way to improve the soil, especially sandy soils, which will hold more water after adding sphagnum peat. Most sphagnum peat has a low pH, which means it is acidic. This can help gardeners grow plants that need more acidic soil.

Mountain peat is taken from elevated wetlands, which may not return to life for hundreds of years. The water cycle and mountain ecosystems are very severely affected by this mining.

Manure

Due to the high ammonia levels, fresh manure can be toxic to plants. To get around this issue, ensure the manure you use has either been aged or composted.

Manure piled for at least six months is referred to as aged manure. Ammonia may have been released in large amounts. Salt levels may be higher if the salts in the decomposing matter get concentrated or if it rains a lot. Weed seeds will germinate.

Another problem with using fresh manure, especially in vegetable gardens, is that it could spread diseases like E. coli that can make people sick. At least four months before harvest, fresh manure should be added to the soil for vegetables that will be in direct touch with it. It's a good idea to put new manure on fruit trees and vegetable gardens three months before harvest. To put it another way, in the fall, you would apply fresh manure to your garden beds for the following spring.

Manure that has been heated and turned over several times is called "composted manure." Pathogens and weed seeds will die if heated above 145 degrees F. Composted manure is a great way to improve soil because the fast decomposition process stabilizes the organic matter.

To be clear, there are no rules about composting and manure. You'll find the word "composed" on many things you can buy. But it has yet to go through the active decomposition process.

Compost

Compost is organic matter that has broken down. The word "compost" is often used in a generic way on products available in shops. This does not mean the product has gone through an active heating and decomposition process.

There are many different kinds of bagged and bulk compost to choose from. These can be a mix of compost made from plants and manure, biosolids, and other agricultural waste. Because there are so many animal farms, there are places where manure is used to make compost. Most of the time, there is a lot of salt in these. Be careful with it.

Wood chips and yard waste are examples of plant-based materials that can be used to make compost, and this type of compost has a low salt content. These are preferable to manure-based composts, which have higher salt concentrations. However, typically, they are expensive.

Using a compost bin, you can transform the food scraps you throw away into nutrient-dense soil for your plants. Reusing the waste from your home can help you reduce your carbon footprint and produce a more environmentally friendly garden. Start your garden's transformation into full of life by being a part of the composting movement. Save the earth while saving money.

Rock Powder

Volcanic rock powder is an effective and natural soil enhancer that can provide your plants with the minerals they need to thrive. Ours contains over 76 minerals, including potassium and phosphorus, which are essential for healthy plant growth. 

This mineral-rich volcanic rock powder can help improve the nutrient content of your soil without introducing any potentially harmful chemicals or fertilizers. Plus, it's easy to apply - simply sprinkle it around your plants before watering them. You can also add it to your compost.  With regular use, you'll be able to enjoy lush foliage and vibrant blooms in no time!

Things to Consider When Picking an Amendment

Longevity of the Amendment.

The amendment you choose depends on your objectives.

• Do you want to enhance the physical qualities of the soil rapidly? Pick one that breaks down quickly.
• Do you want to change your soil so that it will last? Pick an amendment that breaks down gradually.
• Do you desire an immediate and long-term boost? Pick whichever adjustments work best for you.

Soil Texture

The size of the soil particles is reflected in the texture of the soil. Gritty sands are made up of big soil particles. Fine, sticky soil particles characterize clay soils. Both sandy and clayey soils present difficulties for gardeners. The soil particles in loams are of varying sizes.

Changing sandy soils will make them better at holding water and nutrients. Use old manures, composts, peat moss, or soil enhancers to change the sandy soil in your garden.

The objective is to increase aggregation, porosity, permeability, aeration, and drainage. Peat, wood chips, tree bark, and straw are all excellent fibrous supplements to use here.

Since sandy soils don't hold much water, you'll want to modify them with something that does. Clay soils don't drain well, so add a high-permeability amendment like composted wood chips, hardwood bark, or perlite. Due to its high water retention, vermiculite is not recommended for clay soils.

Soil Salinity and Plant Sensitivity to Salts

Many types of manure compost and biosolids contain a lot of salt. Keep away from these supplements in salty soils (over 3 mHOS/cm) or when growing salt-sensitive plants. Raspberries, strawberries, beans, carrots, onions, Kentucky bluegrass, maples, pines, and viburnums don't do well when there is even a tiny amount of salt in the soil. In this scenario, compost made from plants or sphagnum moss would be a good option.

Salt Content and pH of the Amendment

Keep an eye out for salts if adding anything to the soil. High altitude and a dry climate can also contribute to the soil's high salt concentration and pH. Therefore, salty or acidic modifications should be avoided. Wood ash, manures, manure-based compost, biosolids, and biosolid-based compost are all amendments that tend to be high in salts and pH.

Low-salt soils can handle amendments with a total salt concentration of up to 10 mmhos/cm if mixed well. Concerns about the safety of amendments with a salt content of 10 mmhos per cm3 or higher have been raised. If your soil has tested high in salt, look for an amendment that contains less salt.

Because they contain few salts, soil amendments such as sphagnum peat and compost made entirely of plant matter are excellent choices.

Get an evaluation of the organic amendments you're considering using, and pick your amendments with care. If you don't have this kind of analysis, it's best to buy a small amount to try before buying a huge quantity.

To sum it up, all amendments to clay soils make the soil more porous and permeable, which improves airflow, water drainage, and root depth. Soil enhancers can help sandy soils retain water and nutrients for plants to flourish in your garden.

Organic soil enhancers and soil amendments can be found in both bagged and bulk forms. Nonetheless, there are no rules regarding the use of soil enhancers and amendments. Quite a few of them contain shockingly large amounts of salt.

In some states with huge cattle industries, manure and compost made partly from manure are abundant. They typically have a high salt content, which reduces their usefulness. Please exercise caution before using.

Composts made from plants have very little sodium content. So, these can be used in higher amounts, improving the soil quality even more. Compost derived from plants is typically more expensive. Remember, though, that fertile crops grow best in amended soils.

Our Nature's Perfect is nature’s own soil enhancer. From deep within the earth comes the most perfectly balanced natural mineral soil enhancer product available. This volcanic powder contains 76+ trace minerals from a completely natural & organic source. It has natural photosynthesis making plants more pest-resistant. With regular use, you'll be able to enjoy lush foliage and vibrant blooms in no time!