Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange
Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [soil-amendment]

About modifying a soil's content.

Soil amendments are any additives which are added to a soil to change its characteristics. Amendments can include (but are not limited to):

  • Fertilizers
  • Compost
  • Lime
  • Rock chips
  • Sand
  • Bark chips
  • Biochar
  • Vermiculite

Amendments can change the acidity (pH), water-holding ability, drainage, nutritional content, and inoculate against some diseases.

Use this tag for all questions where a general soil amendment tag is appropriate. Questions about specific amendments should use the specific tag for the amendment.

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What are the cons of using aluminum sulfate and elemental sulfur as soil acidifiers?

I have a slightly high pH, 7.2. Nothing bad but I would like to bring it down a little. I was looking at two elements/products whatever you want to call them. One was Aluminum Sulfate and the other was Sulfur. The things I know is it does not take…
Ljk2000
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Can biochar be created effectively in a cast iron bath?

I'm interested in making some biochar for my garden. I don't really want to pay an metal engineer to make an expensive Kon-Tiki Kiln, or even a much easier Pyramidal Kiln, and I don't have the energy to dig a 2 m diameter soil pit that are used…
Graham Chiu
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What is Horticultural Grit?

I live the U.S. but I read UK gardening books. Can someone please explain what is "Horticultural Grit". What is it make of, what is the size of the particles? Is there some standard reference that defines or specifies "Horticultural Grit"? If I…
Ed Morrow
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Should I add soil with living things, like worms, to a potting mix?

I normally just buy in seedlings from big box stores since I am too disorganised to start my own seedlings in time. However, this year I did manage to get some seeds into the seed raising mix, and they have come up. I've then pricked out the…
Graham Chiu
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Laying new topsoil, what if anything to mix in for worms or to kickstart healthy ecosystem?

For reasons that would take too long to go into (tl;dr version - a combination of mass gradual soil movement needing soil engineering, bad development, old paving/topslabs, + ground levelling to address long term ground issues) the entire top…
Stilez
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How do I prepare rocky soil for planting an avocado tree?

I would like to plant some avocado trees in my garden. The soil seems very stony (<3cm in diameter stones on average, but a couple of bigger ones) and they go down at least 30 cm. Do I need to do anything to the soil in preparation for the fruit…
user7520
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How can we improve the soil to plant a garden where a shed once stood?

I just recently tore down a shed that had been in my backyard for the last 20-30 years. I would like to use that spot to build my garden (vegetables, herbs, etc). The problem is that a combination of animals have been using it as their home. We…
Jacqueline Jones
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How do I get grass to grow in what looks like pure sand?

The previous owner of my house had a 1 ft. wide strip of mulch next to the walkway. I'd like to just have grass grow up to the edge of the walkway instead. However, the ground is extremely sandy. Under the mulch woodchips, there's about 1/2 an…
Clyde
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What size of rocks are worth sifting out of a garden?

I'm sifting out rocks in my garden, which I'm pretty sure used to be a gravel lot. I'm wanting to grow root vegetables like radishes and carrots, so I don't want them having to push rocks out of the way as they grow. I've heard that you shouldn't…
The Flash
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Is this a good organic soil/fertilizer setup for container carrots?

I am growing 36 carrots in a 18" square container that is 14" deep. I know I have enough room for them but am more worried about whether there will be enough nutrition in the soil to carry them through until harvest. Is there a certain soil blend or…
Enigma
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May have planted my tree wrong... is it too late to dig it up and replant it?

I live in climate zone 7a in New Mexico, and I planted a pear tree in my backyard three days ago. Following the directions on the tag, I dug a hole twice the diameter and depth of the root ball and filled it with potting soil, topping it off with…
iLikeDirt
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I want to lower the pH of my soil around my blueberries without changing the pH of the entire bed

I've got 3 Jersey blueberry shrubs planted in my greenhouse, in the ground. They are 3' wide and 2' tall, producing berries nicely. They'll be bigger in the years to come but this year I planted squash in the soil between them that are very…
stormy
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What is the advantage of a raised bed over clay soil vs just amending the clay soil?

Assuming: There are no tree roots or moles around to worry about. I am young and don't mind bending over the extra 6-12 inches. What is the advantage of building a raised bed vs just heavily amending your base soil until it's almost as high…
Philip
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What is the scientific term that describes soil that resists water?

I know this is an odd one, but I know there is a special word that horticulturists use to describe soil that is so arid that it resists water. So, when it rains, the water initially rushes off of the soil rather than soaking in; counter intuitive…
N8sBug
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What is acid soil?

Everyone talks about acid soil, but what does it mean when someone says my soil is acid? How does soil get that way? Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing?
Randy
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