What is a soil amendment? It's not a revision to the constitution, although it can improve the constitution of your soil. A soil amendment is important to the health of the soil because it adds porosity to the soil. A porous soil is better at draining excess water away. It also retains some water stores in its air pockets, which is essential for keeping plants well-hydrated during the summer heat. Porous soil is also useful because roots can get into the soil to extract nutrients and worms and other invertebrates can move around the soil, breaking down leaves and other organic material. When a soil can breathe and water can move around in that soil, then it is a much healthier environment for animals and plants. Using Compost as a Soil Amendment Compost is made out of organic material, and it's a natural soil amendment that adds so much to your garden soil. Compost is naturally at the pH that plants love, slightly acidic to neutral. Its light texture makes soils more porous, especially when you dig the compost into soil that is compacted. Compost is also a fertilizer with a healthy complement of microorganisms; many more than exist in normal garden soil. Using compost as a soil amendment not only creates a more porous soil in the garden, but it creates a garden soil that is full of nutrients, fertilized and ready to grow. Using Worm Castings as a Soil Amendment Worm castings are a different sort of compost, but they can also become a good soil amendment. These castings are the finished compost from a worm bin or vermicompost. In a vermicomposting system, red wriggler worms work inside a plastic bin to produce soil from food waste and paper or other bedding material. The result is a nutrient-rich product that can act as both a soil amendment and a fertilizer. Use worm castings by digging them into the garden soil to add microbes and nutrient-rich compost to the garden, or use them as a fertilizer for more mature plants by side-dressing them with worm castings. Using Greensand as a Soil Amendment Greensand can also make soil looser and more porous, and it's especially useful when a soil is made out of clay. Clay soils retain water and swell, making it difficult for plants to grow and allowing water to pool. Greensand is made up of iron-potassium silicate and is mined from mineral deposits that originated under the sea. It is commonly used in organic gardening and contains potash, iron, magnesium, and silica. Who says that fertilizers need to come from a box and that soil amendments only come in bags at the garden center? Compost, worm castings, and greensand are three soil amendments that are all natural, and they can turn compacted, tough soil into a place where vegetables and flowers will thrive. You can even create compost and worm castings yourself using food scraps, yard waste, and paper - the perfect way to create good soil and recycle at the same time.
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If you're not sure about whether or not to use a soil amendment in the garden, check out these different types of soil amendments and why they work so well.
Lars Handley is a certified master composter based in Dallas, Texas. Visit his Composting site to see text and video that teaches how to make compost. Dont miss the Dont miss the Benefits of Composting page where you can learn why it is important and easy.
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