Demystifying Soil Amendments - Continued

Garden Bed Amendments V – Specialty Products for Garden Soil

Soil amendments are anything you can add to the soil to improve its nutritional value, water retention, drainage, structure and aeration to create a better environment for plant root development or increase or decrease drainage or slow soil erosion.  Soil amendments can also be considered products that you can use on top of the soil to retain moisture, slow erosion, manage weeds, moderate soil temperature, increase aesthetics and aid in plant growth.  They can be either organic or inorganic.     

 

Always follow the label for all products.  We strongly recommend you get a soil test before adding any nutrients to your soil.  This will give you a clear understanding of what might be missing from your garden’s soil.  You can use a company like Agricultural Soil Management, Inc. in Champaign, IL to do your soil test or go to http://urbanext.illinois.edu/soiltest/ for a listing of companies.

Some of the following products are easy to find at your local Independent Garden Center but others may be difficult to find stocked.  Some of these products have suitable substitution that your local Garden Center experts can suggest for you, but if you really have your heart set on one product or a brand of product, you can talk to them and they may be able to special order it for you.

Soil Moist

Soil Moist

Is a name brand for one type of polymer with water

storing capabilities to help reduce waterings

            We recommend this to be added to containers that

            are in a lot of sun

We also recommend this to be used in plantings where

regular watering may be difficult   

Mycorrhizae

Are microscopic fungi that help the root structure of plants take up water and nutrients for healthier plants that resist disease and insects

            Can be found as a granular or in a water soluble (i.e. Brand name Thrive) form

This product does not have any direct beneficial nutrition; however, it increases the plant’s ability to access nutrients in soil

Diatomaceous Earth for the Garden

Diatomaceous Earth

            Inorganic – but a natural mineral that is mined

            all over the world

Used as a pest management tool but will kill

beneficials too (it dries out both hard body and soft

body insects by getting into their respiratory systems, 

and for soft body pests such as slugs, it is like sharp

glass to them)

Used on top of the soil and as a line barrier

            Use in dry weather

            Often used in organic gardening practices

Milorganite

            It is a biosolid

Is a fertilizer that is natural 5-2-0 slower release

            It won’t burn

            It may deter deer and rabbits

            Used as a top dress for both gardens and lawn

Definitions

Top dress – to apply product on top of the soil or garden surface to either add nutrients, limit weed seed germination or weed growth, retain moisture, deter soil erosion, increase aesthetic beauty

Leaching – Water soluble plant nutrients are lost due to over watering or the soil’s inability to hold on to those nutrients for later use

PH – is the measure of acidity to basic from #1 to #14

PH neutral – is in the middle of the PH scale at #7

Slightly Acidic – to lower the PH

Slightly Basic - To sweeten the soil, to raise the PH often associated with lime products

N-P-K – Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium are often depicted as number on plant fertilizers (i.e. 10-10-10)

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

http://www.gardencentermagazine.com/fafard-veriflora-certification-peat-moss-peatlands.aspx

http://www.michiganpeat.com/about.htm

http://www.greeneem.com/cococoirpeat.htm

http://www.usu.edu/cpl/PDF/CoconutCoirPaper.pdf

http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/getting-to-the-coir-of-the-matter.aspx

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/colorchange.html

http://www.garden.org/calculators/?q=form&type=sulfur

http://www.organicgardeningguru.com/soil-care.html

http://www.usg.com/rc/brochures/agricultural-gypsum/sofn-soil-gypsum-lawn-garden-brochure-en-IG220.pdf

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07235.html

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/dc6794.html

http://www.usethrive.com/

http://www.hort.iastate.edu/research/gluten

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h531cornglutenmeal.html

http://www.soilmoist.com/products/landscapers.php

Demystifying Soil Amendments - Continued

Garden Bed Amendments IV – Products that change soil structure

Soil amendments are anything you can add to the soil to improve its nutritional value, water retention, drainage, structure and aeration to create a better environment for plant root development or increase or decrease drainage or slow soil erosion.  Soil amendments can also be considered products that you can use on top of the soil to retain moisture, slow erosion, manage weeds, moderate soil temperature, increase aesthetics and aid in plant growth.  They can be either organic or inorganic.     

 

Always follow the label for all products.  We strongly recommend you get a soil test before adding any nutrients to your soil.  This will give you a clear understanding of what might be missing from your garden’s soil.  You can use a company like Agricultural Soil Management, Inc. in Champaign, IL to do your soil test or go to http://urbanext.illinois.edu/soiltest/ for a listing of companies.

Some of the following products are easy to find at your local Independent Garden Center but others may be difficult to find stocked.  Some of these products have suitable substitutions that your local Garden Center experts can suggest for you, but if you really have your heart set on one product or a brand of product, you can talk to them and they may be able to special order it for you.

Rice Hulls

Renewable resource that is not environmentally disruptive. However, it is usually produced outside the U.S.

            Decomposable

            Creates air pockets and increases porosity for both air and water channels

            Increases drainage

            Has some water holding capability

            Lightweight

            Some brands have OMRI label for organic growing

            Keeps soil loose and not compacted but for a short period of time

Green Sand

Inorganic – but a natural mineral that is mined         

May be used in Organic Gardening

It is rich in trace nutrients

Helps loosen compacted soils

Will not burn plants and can be used at any time of the year either incorporated or as a top dress

            It is a slow release fertilizer supplying micronutrients

Horticultural Charcoal

            Some people say it may absorb impurities; there is very little evidence for this claim

Used in the garden will improve drainage

            Often used in terrariums or indoor houseplant containers that have no drainage

Pebbles/Stone

            Inorganic – but occurs naturally in nature

            Used as a top dress to lessen weed growth and help soil erosion

            Increases aesthetic beauty as a decorative soil covering

            Creates drainage or increases drainage both in the garden or in containers

            Used as pathway material

            Will add weight to lightweight containers to keep them from tipping over

Vermiculite (Garden Grade only)

Inorganic – but a natural mineral that is mined

Comes in fine, medium, and coarse (medium and coarse are usually what is used in gardening)

“Square Foot Gardening” practices made famous by Mel Bartholomew requires it in his method

Lightweight

Adds no nutrients to the garden but Retains added nutrients for later use by the plants

Retains moisture

Increases drainage

Keeps soil loose and not compacted

Perlite

            Inorganic – but a natural mineral that is mined all over the world

            Slow to break down

            PH neutral

            Helps retain moisture

            Creates air pockets and increases porosity for both air and water channels

            Lightweight great for rooftop gardens

            Adds no nutrients to the garden

            Keeps soil loose and not compacted

            Inert

Peat Moss

            Naturally occurring organic substance

            You want to purchase peat that has been harvested in a sustainable manner

            Improves water movement and air circulation of soils

            Holds twenty times it weight in water and slowly releases

            Can be used to bind sandy soils

            Reduces leaching of nutrients by holding them until it is used by the plant

            Keeps soil loose and not compacted for a certain period of time

            Can also be used as a top dress for new seeds such as lawn or wildflower areas

            Slightly acidic

Coir

Coir Coco Moss

            Fibrous pulp from the husks of coconuts

Renewable resource that is not environmentally 

disruptive. However, it is usually produced

outside the U.S.

Free of bacteria and fungal spores

Slightly acidic

Will retain moisture

Keeps soil loose and not compacted for a certain period of time

Creates air pockets and increases porosity for both air and water channels

Can be used to line containers or baskets to hold a potting medium in the container

Does have some minor nutritional benefit

Long Fiber Sphagnum Moss

            It is not peat moss but is a perennial plant that grows back

            Renewable resource

            Sourced in the United States

            Holds twenty times its weight in water

            Repels bacteria

            Used as a soil covering for container plants

            Used to line baskets or containers to hold potting media in the container

            Used to create a nice aesthetic look that is very natural

            Used as all or part of the potting media for some container plants such as orchids

Sand

Sand

            This is a naturally occurring material comprised of

            rock and some minerals

            It increases drainage and helps break up clay soils

Creates air pockets and increases porosity for both air

and water channel

Used as a top dress

May be used in organic gardening

           

 

Definitions

Top dress – to apply product on top of the soil or garden surface to either add nutrients, limit weed seed germination or weed growth, retain moisture, deter soil erosion, increase aesthetic beauty

Leaching – Water soluble plant nutrients are lost due to over-watering or the soil’s inability to hold on to those nutrients for later use

PH – is the measure of acidity to basic from #1 to #14

PH neutral – is in the middle of the PH scale at #7

Slightly Acidic – to lower the PH

Slightly Basic - To sweeten the soil, to raise the PH often associated with lime products

N-P-K – Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium are often depicted as number on plant fertilizers (i.e. 10-10-10)

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

http://www.gardencentermagazine.com/fafard-veriflora-certification-peat-moss-peatlands.aspx

http://www.michiganpeat.com/about.htm

http://www.greeneem.com/cococoirpeat.htm

http://www.usu.edu/cpl/PDF/CoconutCoirPaper.pdf

http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/getting-to-the-coir-of-the-matter.aspx

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/colorchange.html

http://www.garden.org/calculators/?q=form&type=sulfur

http://www.organicgardeningguru.com/soil-care.html

http://www.usg.com/rc/brochures/agricultural-gypsum/sofn-soil-gypsum-lawn-garden-brochure-en-IG220.pdf

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07235.html

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/dc6794.html

http://www.usethrive.com/

http://www.hort.iastate.edu/research/gluten

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h531cornglutenmeal.html

http://www.soilmoist.com/products/landscapers.php

Demystifying Soil Amendments - Continued

Garden Bed Amendments III - Compost

Soil amendments are anything you can add to the soil to improve its nutritional value, water retention, drainage, structure and aeration to create a better environment for plant root development or increase or decrease drainage or slow soil erosion.  Soil amendments can also be considered products that you can use on top of the soil to retain moisture, slow erosion, manage weeds, moderate soil temperature, increase aesthetics and aid in plant growth.  They can be either organic or inorganic.  Some of the following products or components can have multiple tasks that they perform in your soil. However, I have tried to categorize them into their main function.

Always follow the label for all products.  We strongly recommend you get a soil test before adding any nutrients to your soil.  This will give you a clear understanding of what might be missing from your garden’s soil.  You can use a company like Agricultural Soil Management, Inc. in Champaign, IL to do your soil test or go to http://urbanext.illinois.edu/soiltest/ for a listing of companies.

Some of the following products are easy to find at your local Independent Garden Center but others may be difficult to find stocked.  Some of these products have suitable substitution that your local Garden Center experts can suggest for you, but if you really have your heart set on one product or a brand of product, you can talk to them and they may be able to special order it for you.

Leaf Compost

Leaf Compost

            May be used in organic gardening

            May be purchased or you can make your own

            It adds organic material to soil

Creates air pockets and increases porosity for both

air and water channel

            Retains moisture

Keeps soil loose and not compacted for a certain

period of time

            Used as a top dress mulch

Cotton Burr Compost

            Loosens clay soils

            May be used in organic gardening

            Helps neutralize PH in soils

            Helps increase the beneficial Microbes in the soil

            Improves water movement and air circulation of soils

            Increases water retention

Manure

            Comes from all sorts of sources

Cow is the most common, but can include all sorts of herbivore animals like rabbit or goat

            Dehydrated, Composted or a Slurry are the various forms of manure

            May be used in organic gardening

            It may contain high levels of nitrogen and other nutrients

Provides food for good microscopic bacteria to feed off

It may burn plants if not used properly

Adds organic material to the soil

Manure that is properly composted should not smell

Manure Compost Blend

Is a blend of manure and other organic material mixed together (i.e. manure and composted peat)

Adds organic material to the soil

May be used in organic gardening

It may contain high levels of nitrogen and other nutrients

Mushroom Compost

Mushroom Compost

It is the growing media used to grow mushrooms at

mushroom farms once they harvest the mushrooms

            It consists of horse manure, straw, peat moss and 

            other organic material

Adds organic material to the soil

May be used in organic gardening

It may contain high levels of salts

It may burn plants if not used properly

Composted Chicken Manure/composted poultry manures

            Very high in nitrogen and contains phosphorous and potassium

            Extremely important to use thoroughly composted product

It may burn plants if not used properly

Adds organic material to the soil

May be used in organic gardening

Composted peat/humus

            Is slightly acidic

            Is decomposed plant material

            It adds organic material to your soil

            Helps retain moisture

Creates air pockets and increases porosity for both air and water channel

May be used in organic gardening

Definitions

Top dress – to apply product on top of the soil or garden surface to either add nutrients, limit weed seed germination or weed growth, retain moisture, deter soil erosion, increase aesthetic beauty

Leaching – Water soluble plant nutrients are lost due to over watering or the soil’s inability to hold on to those nutrients for later use

PH – is the measure of acidity to basic from #1 to #14

PH neutral – is in the middle of the PH scale at #7

Slightly Acidic – to lower the PH

Slightly Basic - To sweeten the soil, to raise the PH often associated with lime products

N-P-K – Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium are often depicted as number on plant fertilizers (i.e. 10-10-10)

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

http://www.gardencentermagazine.com/fafard-veriflora-certification-peat-moss-peatlands.aspx

http://www.michiganpeat.com/about.htm

http://www.greeneem.com/cococoirpeat.htm

http://www.usu.edu/cpl/PDF/CoconutCoirPaper.pdf

http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/getting-to-the-coir-of-the-matter.aspx

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/colorchange.html

http://www.garden.org/calculators/?q=form&type=sulfur

http://www.organicgardeningguru.com/soil-care.html

http://www.usg.com/rc/brochures/agricultural-gypsum/sofn-soil-gypsum-lawn-garden-brochure-en-IG220.pdf

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07235.html

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/dc6794.html

http://www.usethrive.com/

http://www.hort.iastate.edu/research/gluten

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h531cornglutenmeal.html

http://www.soilmoist.com/products/landscapers.php

Mulch Chart

Demystifying Soil Amendments Continued

Garden Bed Amendments II - Mulch

Soil amendments are anything you can add to the soil to improve its nutritional value, water retention, drainage, structure and aeration to create a better environment for plant root development or increase or decrease drainage or slow soil erosion.  Soil amendments can also be considered products that you can use on top of the soil to retain moisture, slow erosion, manage weeds, moderate soil temperature, increase aesthetics and aid in plant growth.  They can be either organic or inorganic.     

 

Always follow the label for all products.  We strongly recommend you get a soil test before adding any nutrients to your soil.  This will give you a clear understanding of what might be missing from your garden’s soil.  You can use a company like Agricultural Soil Management, Inc. in Champaign, IL, to do your soil test or go to http://urbanext.illinois.edu/soiltest/ for a listing of companies.

Some of the following products are easy to find at your local Independent Garden Center but others may be difficult to find stocked.  Some of these products have suitable substitutions that your local Garden Center experts can suggest for you, but if you really have your heart set on one product or a brand of product, you can talk to them and they may be able to special order it for you.

Most mulches will help regulate soil temperature by keeping the soil underneath it cooler.

Bark Hardwood

            This is made from the bark that comes off of the trees from lumber mills

            Use as a top dress mulch

            Slow to break down but then can be incorporated into the soil as organic material

Cedar Mulch

Shredded Cedar Mulch

            This is made from the cedar tree remnants 

            from lumber mills

            Use as a top dress mulch

            Slow to break down but then can be incorporated 

            into the soil as organic material

Cypress Mulch

            This is made from the cypress tree remnants from lumber mills

            Use as a top dress mulch

            Slow to break down but then can be incorporated into the soil as organic material

Landscape Fabric or Weed Barrier

            Fabric that may be biodegradable

            It keeps weeds seeds down by not letting weeds germinate

            May slow erosion

            May help soil retain moisture

Leaf Compost

Leaf Compost

            May be used in organic gardening

            May be purchased or you can make your own

            It add organic material to soil

Creates air pockets and increase porosity for both air and water channel

            Retain moisture

Keeps soil loose and not compacted for a certain 

period of time

            Used as a top dress mulch

Cotton Burr Compost

            Loosens clay soils

            May be used in organic gardening

            Helps neutralize PH in soils

            Helps increase the beneficial Microbes in the soil

            Improves water movement and air circulation of soils

            Increases water retention

Aged Pine Bark

Pine Bark

            Used as an organic soil conditioner

            Decreases nitrogen leaching

            Improves water movement and air circulation

            of soils

            Increases water retention

            Keeps soil loose and not compacted for a certain

            period of time

            Will last longer as a substantial mass than

            peat moss

            Properly aged pine bark can be difficult to find for

            the average gardener

            Slightly acidic

            May be applied as a top dress

Spanish Moss

            Is not really a moss, it is an Epiphyte (air plant)

            Usually used as a top dress for containers, frequently is used in the floral industry

            In the South, it is sometimes used as a top dress mulch

 

Definitions

Top dress – to apply product on top of the soil or garden surface to either add nutrients, limit weed seed germination or weed growth, retain moisture, deter soil erosion, increase aesthetic beauty

Leaching – Water soluble plant nutrients are lost due to over-watering or the soil’s inability to hold on to those nutrients for later use

PH – is the measure of acidity to basic from #1 to #14

PH neutral – is in the middle of the PH scale at #7

Slightly Acidic – to lower the PH

Slightly Basic - To sweeten the soil, to raise the PH often associated with lime products

N-P-K – Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium are often depicted as number on plant fertilizers (i.e. 10-10-10)

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

http://www.gardencentermagazine.com/fafard-veriflora-certification-peat-moss-peatlands.aspx

http://www.michiganpeat.com/about.htm

http://www.greeneem.com/cococoirpeat.htm

http://www.usu.edu/cpl/PDF/CoconutCoirPaper.pdf

http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/getting-to-the-coir-of-the-matter.aspx

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/colorchange.html

http://www.garden.org/calculators/?q=form&type=sulfur

http://www.organicgardeningguru.com/soil-care.html

http://www.usg.com/rc/brochures/agricultural-gypsum/sofn-soil-gypsum-lawn-garden-brochure-en-IG220.pdf

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07235.html

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/dc6794.html

http://www.usethrive.com/

http://www.hort.iastate.edu/research/gluten

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h531cornglutenmeal.html

http://www.soilmoist.com/products/landscapers.php

Nutritional Amendment Chart

Demystifying Soil Amendments

The following blogs are going to be a five part series on Soil Amendments and Components.

Garden Bed Amendments I – Nutritional Amendments

Soil amendments are anything you can add to the soil to improve its nutritional value, water retention, drainage, structure and aeration to create a better environment for plant root development or increase or decrease drainage or slow soil erosion.  Soil amendments can also be considered products that you can use on top of the soil to retain moisture, slow erosion, manage weeds, moderate soil temperature, increase aesthetics and aid in plant growth.  They can be either organic or inorganic.  Some of the following products or components can have multiple tasks that they perform in your soil; however I have tried to categorize them into their main function.

Always follow the label for all products.  We strongly recommend you get a soil test before adding any nutrients to your soil.  This will give you a clear understanding of what might be missing from your garden’s soil.  You can use a company like Agricultural Soil Management, Inc. in Champagne IL to do your soil test or go to http://urbanext.illinois.edu/soiltest/ for a listing of companies.

Some of the following products are easy to find at your local Independent Garden Center but others may be difficult to find stocked.  Some of these products have suitable substitution that your local Garden Center experts can suggest for you but if you really have your heart set one product or a brand of product you can talk to them and they may be able to special order it for you.

 

Aluminum Sulfate

            Is a chemical compound

            Lowers the PH or increases acidity of gardens that are not used for edible plants

It increases the amount of nutrients that the plant takes up through its roots system from the surrounding soil

            Can be used as a soil additive or top dressed

            Always follow the directions, do not apply to foliage
            Used to change certain hydrangeas colors typically to a
            blue shade

 Garden Sulfur

            Natural occurring element

            Lowers PH or increases acidity in soil and can be used
            with edibles

            Used often in Organic gardening

            We recommend this product in blueberry production in
            our area

Agricultural Lime/Garden Lime/Agricultural Limestone

 It provides a source of calcium which is an important micro nutrient especially for plants like tomatoes and fall mums

It improves the plants ability to uptake other nutrients such as Nitrogen, Potassium and

Best to add lime to the top of the soil in fall or before planting in spring

            Raises the PH in soil

Phosphorous (N-P-K) in acidic soils

Naturally occurring mineral – Limestone ground

It increases water penetration into soil media

Dolomitic Lime

            Similar to Agricultural lime

            Is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined

            Raises the PH of your soil

Is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate

Both calcium and magnesium are necessary nutrients for some plants

 

Hydrated Lime

            Calcium Hydroxide is an inorganic compound created from limestone and water

            Raises the PH quickly in the soil, but may burn the roots of plants where it is used

            Please make sure your follow your instruction, we recommend Agricultural Lime instead

Ammonium Sulphate

            Is an inorganic salt compound

            Lowers PH or increases acidity

            Contains Nitrogen and Sulfur

            Quick and fast release of Nitrogen, be careful not to burn the plant

            To do this the organic way and slower we would recommend Blood Meal

Magnesium Sulphate/Epsom Salt

            Inorganic chemical Compound naturally coming from the Earth (Epsom, England)

            Helps correct chlorosis (yellowing leaves) of plants, it will make them more green

            May be used to correct magnesium deficiencies

            Lowers the PH or increases acidity of your soil slightly

            Helps plants absorb naturally occurring phosphorous in the soil and other nutrients

            Often used in organic gardening

 

Gypsum

            Is a sulfate mineral naturally occurring and can be created as a byproduct of
            sulfide oxidation

            May counter act salt spray damage from deicing agents applied to roads for winter

Helps bind organic matter to nutrients in the soil to prevent leaching and be available to the plant for later use

            PH neutral (7.0) but does help correct overly alkaline
            (high PH) or “sweet soils” 

            Loosens clay soils by allowing air and water to flow easier through

            Maybe used in organic gardening 

            Lessens soil erosion

            Adds calcium

            Won’t burn

          

 Dried Blood/Blood Meal

Releases nitrogen over four months so perfect for one season crops, please follow the label to avoid plant damage

            Provides a natural source of nitrogen

            Great for nitrogen hungry crops like leafy  vegetables
            (lettuce, 

            spinach, corn, brussel sprouts)

            Apply during growing season

Lowers PH or increases acidity

            May act as an animal repellent such as deer and rabbit

Do not apply to beans or legumes (i.e. soybeans) or other crops that take nitrogen out of the air and put it in the soil

May be used in organic gardening

Often used in compost pile

            Please follow the directions and do not over apply

 Iron

            When you have iron deficiencies you usually have high PH

            Lowers PH or increases acidity

It can be applied as a spray (liquid form is equally effective and is more commonly available) or a pellet which is usually commercially available

Chelated Iron

            Is often in a soluble form for spraying

            Slightly Lowers PH or increases acidity

            Is used as temporary fix for high PH soils

            Used to treat deficiencies causing chlorosis

Urea

This is often one of two nitrogen sources for commercial fertilizers (Ammonium Nitrate is the other but it is not sold by itself)

Promotes rapid greening and growth

This releases nitrogen very rapidly

Potash

            Is the name nickname for the old fashioned way of soaking plant ashes in a water pot

            Various salts that contain potassium either mined or manufactured

            Source of potassium for fertilizers

Potassium helps the growth of the plant, keeps the plant circulatory system healthy, and helps maintain the plants overall healthiness

Bone Meal

            It is made from crushed bones

            It is often used in organic gardening 

Often used for bulbs, roses and tomatoes

It is a good source of phosphorous and calcium for your plants

It is a slow release fertilizer

Fertilizers

            This topic will be covered at a later date thoroughly

May be organic, inorganic, natural or synthetic

            It is often added to the soil to supply nutrients to plants

            Can be a quick release, time release or slow release formulas

It contains the following macro and micro nutrients

six macro nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S);

seven micro nutrients: boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn).

Corn Gluten Meal

            Made from ground corn

Various Universities including Iowa State University believes it could be used as a natural pre-emergence herbicide

            Slowly releases nitrogen and is often used on lawns

 

Definitions:

Top dress – to apply product on top of the soil or garden surface to either add nutrients, limit weed seed germination or weed growth, retain moisture, deter soil erosion, increase aesthetic beauty

Leaching – Water soluble plant nutrients are lost due to over watering or the soils inability to hold on to those nutrients for later use

PH – is the measure of acidity to basic from #1 to #14

PH neutral – is in the middle of the PH scale at #7

Slightly Acidic – to lower the PH

Slightly Basic - To sweeten the soil, to raise the PH often associated with lime products

N-P-K – Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium are often depicted as number on plant fertilizers (i.e. 10-10-10)

 

Informational Links:

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

http://www.gardencentermagazine.com/fafard-veriflora-certification-peat-moss-peatlands.aspx

http://www.michiganpeat.com/about.htm

http://www.greeneem.com/cococoirpeat.htm

http://www.usu.edu/cpl/PDF/CoconutCoirPaper.pdf

http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/getting-to-the-coir-of-the-matter.aspx

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/colorchange.html

http://www.garden.org/calculators/?q=form&type=sulfur

http://www.organicgardeningguru.com/soil-care.html

http://www.usg.com/rc/brochures/agricultural-gypsum/sofn-soil-gypsum-lawn-garden-brochure-en-IG220.pdf

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07235.html

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/dc6794.html

http://www.usethrive.com/

http://www.hort.iastate.edu/research/gluten

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h531cornglutenmeal.html

http://www.soilmoist.com/products/landscapers.php

General Houseplant Care

While taking care of houseplants can vary greatly between different varieties, there are some general guidelines that apply to most houseplants.   There are two general types of houseplants: the “green” plants and the “blooming” plants.  Green plants are generally grown for their foliage.  Some examples of green plants are philodendron, ferns, dracena, peperomia, and schefflera.  While not considered “blooming plants”, most green plants do flower.  However, in a home situation this is generally rare or nearly unnoticeable.  Blooming plants, on the other hand, are known for large or showy floral displays.  Blooming plants can often be grown after they finish flowering and will flower again if given a good healthy environment.  Some examples of blooming plants are cyclamen, kalanchoe, African violets, spathiphyllum (peace lily), anthurium, bromeliads, and orchids. 

Green Plants  

In general, caring for a green plant is a simple process that requires a small amount of work every few days. Selecting the proper location for your plants is a good way to reduce the amount of care that they require and can increase the overall health of your plant. This includes choosing a plant that will grow well with the amount of light that it will receive in the location in the house. The largest part of caring for your green plants is watering. Improper watering habits, both over-watering and under-watering, are detrimental to plant health. The best way to tell if your plant is watered correctly is to stick your finger into the soil near the plant’s root system and feel if the soil is moist an inch or so below the surface of the soil. Visual signs of both under- and over-watered plants include wilting and generally droopy plants. Over-watering a houseplant can lead to an increase in soil born insects and diseases as well as a reduced root system. Under-watering a house plant can lead to stunted or no growth and excessive leaf dropping.

Most green plants are fairly light feeders and thus only need to be fertilized every 8-10 weeks during the active growing season and every 10-12 weeks during the fall and winter.

Beyond watering and fertilizer, green plants require a bit of quick cleaning in order to keep them looking their best. This would include a gentle dusting with a damp cloth and the removal of dead, dying, or damaged leaves. As your houseplant grows larger it may occasionally outgrow its container or location. Depending on the type of plant, there are a couple solutions to this. If the plant requires repotting, a larger container may be used. Some plant species may be divided and placed into 2 or 3 separate containers if a single larger plant is not desired. Other plant species can be cut back to prevent them from overtaking their location in the house. Please talk to a plant professional about any questions regarding trimming or dividing your houseplants. 

Blooming Plants

Blooming plants require much of the same care as described above for green plants.  Due to their flowers, there are a few added things that need to be done to keep a blooming plant looking its best.  As individual flowers finish their life cycle, they can be removed to keep your plant looking healthy.  This process is often referred to as “deadheading”.  Depending on what type of plant you are growing, deadheading will take on a slightly different process.  A plant professional can give you specific advice as to how, when, and where to remove old flowers.  By maintaining your blooming plants properly, you can often extend their blooming and encourage growth and re-blooming.

Because of the added energy that producing flowers requires, blooming plants often require fertilizer more often than green plants.  A good baseline for how often to fertilize blooming plants is once a month, however, variations in fertilizers and plants can change that.