Most plants can’t live and grow without soil holding them in place and providing nutrients. However, not all types of soil are capable of sustaining plants without a few adjustments.
That’s why gardeners depend on soil amendments to better soil conditions before planting. Amendments are usually mixed with the topsoil to enhance its properties and make it more suitable for plant growth.
Choosing which soil amendment to use is vital to the sustainability of plants. You’d have to consider factors such as the type of soil, texture, pH levels, and the like.
This article will discuss how to choose soil amendments, apply them to your soil, and what are their benefits. Let’s get started!
What Are Soil Amendments?
A healthy and prosperous garden starts its foundation in the soil. Since soil needs a few preparations before it can be sustainable for plants, that’s where soil amendments come in.
In essence, a soil amendment is any organic or inorganic material used to mix with soil to enhance its capability to sustain plants. It changes the soil’s physical and chemical properties to better fit a plant’s needs.
Soil amendments are often used for practicing sustainable gardening. There’s barely any budget concerns either, since the process can be cost-effective or sometimes won’t cost anything at all.
You can easily take advantage of recycling materials that would otherwise end up as landfill waste and use them as soil amendments.
Why Use Soil Amendments?
Soil amendments aren’t only essential to plant growth but also help gardeners spend less time maintaining their gardens. That’s why it’s critical to include soil amendment in the planning phase of gardening for beneficial short to long-term results.
There are many benefits to using soil amendments before planting. Here are some of the most notable advantages for you to consider:
- Improves the texture of your soil
- Balances the soil’s pH levels
- Boosts plant growth and sustainability
- Provides better drainage
- Increases water and nutrient retention
- Maintains salt levels
- Is low-cost and eco-friendly
- Enhances soil fertility
- Increases plants’ extreme temperature resistance
- Reduces compaction
Soil amendments can also act as a double for fertilizers. While it’s common to interchange fertilizers with soil amendments, they’re two different things.
Fertilizers are simply referred to as plant food. On the other hand, soil amendments not only provide plant food but improve soil conditions as well.
What Are Organic Soil Amendments?
Organic soil amendments are organic materials derived from biomass or any living being. These materials are capable of decomposing at different rates, which in turn will have certain benefits to soil and plant sustainability.
Some examples of organic soil amendments include the following:
- Animal and plant manure
- Sphagnum peat
- Wood chips
- Grass clippings
- Shredded leaves or leaf mold
- Hulls and shells
- Sawdust
The organic materials present in these soil amendments attract various organisms. As a result, the microorganisms will consume the organic matter to produce plant food that’s rich in nutrients.
As much as organic soil amendments contain lots of nutrients, they’re not meant to replace fertilizers. It’s still best to fertilize your plants regularly, even with the use of these amendments.
What Are Inorganic Soil Amendments?
Inorganic soil amendments refer to materials that are either created by man or mined. These materials are usually incapable of decomposing. While some inorganic materials can decompose, they take a long time before they do so.
Here are some of the most common inorganic soil amendments:
- Dolomite lime
- Pea gravel
- Vermiculite
- Perlite
- Tire chunks
- Gypsum
- Urea
These inorganic matters are responsible for the improvement of a soil’s porosity, as well as balancing its pH levels and salt content.
Inorganic soil amendments can also contain specific nutrients for plants. However, since they don’t break down, they’re not as reliable for providing nutrients.
Why Use Soil Amendments on Clay Soil?
Clay soil is tough to handle and is commonly dreaded by most gardeners. That’s due to the fact that its rugged and sticky texture needs to meet certain conditions before it can be sustainable for plants.
Soil amendments are essential to improving the properties of clay soil so that it can accommodate plant growth and survivability.
For instance, if you dig a hole in clay soil for your plant, the plant’s roots won’t be able to spread out due to the clay’s tough walls.
However, if you mix soil amendments with the clay soil, you’ll improve the aggregation of the clay soil, as well as its porosity and permeability.
It takes a bit of additional work, but soil amendments are crucial to clay soil preparation before you can plant on it.
How to Apply Soil Amendment
The most practical way of applying soil amendments to your garden is at the beginning of each year.
Once your soil amendment application schedule is set, you can easily follow the routine for consistent garden maintenance.
Here’s how to apply soil amendments:
- Ready your chosen soil amendment in a bucket.
- Pile the soil amendment on the ground and use a spade or rake to spread it across your garden.
- Ensure that you have evenly distributed at least two inches of soil amendment.
- Mix the soil amendment around eight or fewer inches into the ground.
It’s worth noting that the soil amendments are well-incorporated in the soil. If you let them stay on the surface, they’ll break down quickly and won’t be of much use later on.
Soil Amendment FAQs
Which Soil Amendment Lowers pH?
The most effective soil amendments for lowering pH levels are sulfuric acid, elemental sulfur, and aluminum sulfate. You can use any of the three depending on how fast you want the pH levels to change.
When to Add Soil Amendment?
The best time to add soil amendments is before planting or harvesting (if you’re cultivating crops). Since plants depend on soil to absorb nutrients, it’s best to amend the soil before planting.
Final Thoughts
Soil amendments may sound like extra work, but their benefits are worth the effort. Assuming that your goal is for your plants to thrive, it’s necessary to include soil amendments in your garden preparation.
The cherry on top is that soil amendments are eco-friendly and can help cut down expenses. It’s a win-win situation for you, your garden, and the environment.