Amending soil for blooms
anren3030
8 years ago
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anren3030
8 years agoRelated Discussions
soil amendments and planting soil
Comments (6)Ken, I'm glad Michaelg posted so I won't sound like a nut. :)) I agree about preparing a wider area so I just dug the whole bed out. I removed about 5"-6" of sand in order to fit the amendments (and to get rid of it). I wish I had known about the kitty litter when I was digging my beds. I get free composted horse manure locally so I use that now, but I've used the bagged cow manure from Lowe's/wherever. (Unfortunately, Black Kow is a little pricey for me.) I also use Fafard Soil Conditioner which is finely ground pine park. It's my preference over peat moss. Alfalfa about 4 cups per 10 sq ft, same amount of Milorganite (earthworms love it), Rose-Tone about 3 cups, epsom salts about half cup. You may have to hunt for it, but I added Greensand as a source of potassium which is supposed to be deficient in Florida soil. It's very slow acting. Maybe it seems like a lot of nitrogen, but there's also a lot of carbon going in. My soil pH is about 7.0 so I add soil sulfur. (In the hole I add alfalfa, milorganite and 3 clumps of bone meal around the bottom.) And I use mycorrhizae (soil microorganisms) when I plant each rose, available at Amazon.com. I have one more bed to prepare when it cools off, and I'm going to line the bottom with newspapers, leaves, pine straw, whatever to try to retain water. I know it will rot and migrate down fairly quickly but it's better than nothing. Just as a point of interest, I had to dig a deep hole (3+ ft deep) last spring in a bed I had been amending for more than two years probably to a depth of 12" - 15". I didn't hit sand until I got 3' down. The organic matter had traveled that far down in that time. It is always traveling down. That's why we replace it (or add to it, euphemistically) every year. Since I only have two roses on Fortuniana, I was/am very concerned about nematodes which thrive in Florida sand, plus my native soil was pathetic gray compacted stuff that resembled cement, so that's why I did so much excavation and replacement. When you're ready to plant, your bed will still look like sand with some dark clumps/areas scattered around, BUT in six months I had totally black sandy soil. And now I even have crumbly soil. Very cool! One thing someone said somewhere is that you do need good topsoil because of the minerals that are in SOIL that are not in sand and organic matter, so that is a very good amendment. The roses really do love that new fluffy soil you make. Sherry...See MoreWhich is a better amendment...garden soil or soil conditioner?
Comments (12)Thanks guys. I bought some of the garden soil yesterday before I read your replies but I'm returning it tomorrow and buying the soil conditioner like y'all advised. Is there a difference in the one at Lowes (Scotchman's brand I think) and the HD one (nature's helper)? I ask because the HD one comes in 1.5 cubic ft. while the other is 2 cubic feet. Just looking to get more bang for my buck. I'm going to use pine straw to mulch the bed. There are two pine trees in my front yard that are dropping needles anyway, so putting anything else down would be silly on my part. But not quite as ridiculous as dumping a truckload of gravel on the beds without any concern for the integrity of the soil or the next homeowner who has to spend many hours of back breaking tedious work to dig it all out after it has spent many years sinking into the ground! ...Sorry about the rant, can you tell how much I hate the gravel heehee. Are there any other amendments I should add? I purchased a bag of MOO-nure also for some added goodness(the store didn't have Black Kow). In case you need some info: the soil is going to be slightly rocky since I won't be able to get out all the gravel, besides that it appears to be kinda sandy on the top layer and as I dig deeper it appears more yellowish orange, almost like there could be some clay. I'm going to plant some dwarf gardenias in that area along with some tulip bulbs and some annuals for now. Thanks in advance!...See MoreTedious Soil Amendment(s)
Comments (21)I use bermuda grass and then whatever is growing in the pastures...which is virtually everything. I wouldn't use bermuda grass if it had formed seedheads. That batch would go into the compost pile so the heat of composting could sterilize the seeds. To prevent anything in the grass clippings OR the soil from sprouting and growing up through the mulch, lay down newspaper or cardboard and then pile on the mulch. If there is any wind, wet down the cardboard or newspaper as you lay it down so it won't blow away before you pile on the mulch. The newspaper or cardboard serves as a barrier. Weed seed beneath it cannot sprout because of the darkness and if it sprouts, it generally cannot penetrate the paper or cardboard. Weed seed on top of the cardboard or paper may sprout, but any plants that sprout in the mulch can't grow down through it and it is easy to pull them out of the mulch when you notice they've sprouted. As a bonus, earthworms adore newspaper and cardboard so having them on the ground attracts them to your soil and since they improve the soil, that's a plus. A couple of tips: 1) Never use any grass clippings from lawn treated with herbicides, including weed and feed fertilizers; 2) If the grass is holding a lot of moisture after it is cut, I leave it in the garden cart or wagon for a day or two and let it dry and then I spread them on the beds; 3) If you have cut tallish bermuda in humid, hot conditions (especially in late spring/early summer) and think chiggers might be lurking in there, spray yourself with an insect repellent before you spread the grass clippings. Then, after you're done, scrub yourself thoroughly to remove any that may be climbing around on you. I have chigger issues about once a year after spreading grass clippings DH has cut and it usually happens in late May or early June. 4) Be very picky about your grass clippings. If neighbors see and understand what you're doing and offer you theirs, make sure their lawns haven't been chemically-treated. 5) If you have an issue with snails, slugs, pill bugs or sow bugs be sure you leave a little open space (at least 1/4") between the mulch and plant stems so you can spot those little buggies and sluggies and kill them dead. (I just sprinkle Slug-Go Plus in that little open area so they can find something to eat. It is just a bonus that the 'something' they find to eat kills them.) Dawn...See Moresoil amendment question [bad clay soils]
Comments (8)Whatever your "landscaper" used for "topsoil" was probably about 95 percent mineral (the sand, silt, clay part of soil) and 5 percent organic matter and what your soil really needed was organic matter. Whether cottonseed meal, or any other meal, would help would depend on the Soil Food Web and how active they were. Things like cottonseed meal need to be digested before the nutrients in them are available to plants and if the soil has little organic matter the SFW is not there to do that. First you need to look closely at that soil to determine what it needs and that requires a good reliable soil test for soil pH and major nutrient levels and balance. Then these simple soil tests may also be of some help. 1) Soil test for organic material. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell, to a point. Too much organic matter can be bad as well. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. kimmq is kimmsr...See MoreJean
8 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
8 years agoanren3030
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoanren3030
8 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
8 years agokimmq
8 years ago
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7