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.

170 questions
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Does peat moss negate the effects of perlite?

I am repurposing a fire pit into a raised garden bed. From my readings, it seems like the popular soil mixes for raised garden beds include peat moss, compost, topsoil, and vermiculite. I have the first three ingredients, but I am lacking the…
JoJo
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Is the calcium deposit in my kettle utilized?

Can plants utilize the calcium that sediments in the kettle when water is boiled? Should we be "feeding" it to them?
JudySh
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Is it true that you can't add too much natural fertiliser such as Fermented Plant Juice to a potting mix as opposed to synthetic fertiliser?

I have been making "fermented plant juice" (FPJ) as explained in Nigel Palmers book - The Regenerative Growers Guide to Garden Amendments. Basically, you mix plant material with sugar, 50/50 by weight. The sugar draws out the juices and with that…
Michael Sherpa
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Interpreting soil test instructions

I tested my vegetable garden soil with a lusterleaf rapitest Soil Test Kit. My soil test came back as depleted for nitrogen and phosphorous, and adequate for potash. This is the section of the test kit insert with instructions. Am I interpreting…
nuggethead
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Inter-veinal chlorosis in AllMix and CootMix potting soil

The soil Stage 1: BioBizz AllMix with some additional Perlite. Around 50% as a total. AllMix is originally 30% perlite with mostly peat moss and some organic matter. The containers were 2 gallon fabric pots. The plants were feed with PH 6~6.5 water…
Xiiryo
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scoria sand: What is it good for?

I have sifted scoria to isolate the coarse sand from the fine one. I have the coarse ingredient which I will use it mainly for my succulents. However, I am left with a bag full of fine scoria sand, which is as fine as dune sand and even has lots of…
Christmas Snow
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Does it make any sense to heat soil in an oven in effort to kill pathogens?

So this year, a lot of my inside potted plants got attacked by powdery mildew and other afflictions. All affected were previously given soil that I sifted from the composter that is on the porch of our building. Likely, some people in the building…
Tomáš Zato
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How much peat moss would I need to lower the ph of my soil

I had my soil tested. The ph is 8.2. What is the best product to lower the ph. I’m reading about sulfur, aluminum sulfate and peat moss. Peat moss looks like the best bet but how much do I need to add?
Jean
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Garden Soil Mix

First time gardener her. The wife and I decided to get our thumbs green and give veggies a go. We are going to be growing in buckets and garbage cans, and a few potato sacks. I was investigating some soil mixtures I could make while we get our…
Adam Schneider
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Is Perlite safe to use in the home or will it cause health issues?

I'm new to indoor farming and I was wondering: Is it safe to use Perlite in the soil or should I stick to more natural organic materials like pumice or gritty gravel?
techpuffin
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Pumice or perlite for succulents?

Is pumice better for cactus and succulent mix and such than perlite? Is it all about the chunks? I am thinking of making my own soil mix for succulents and cactus and other plants like jade plants and crassula, Echeveria, Snake plant, Aloe Vera etc.…
4-K
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Which plants relate simbiotically to chillis?

I have been reading about symbiotic plants and mutualism and I am wondering which plant to introduce to the pot of my perennial chilli plant. Any hints? thanks!
scjorge
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What element is needed to turn Hydrangea flowers blue?

What element is needed to turn Hydrangeas blue? Is it sulfur or aluminum?
S. Marucco
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Can blueberry bushes survive in clay soil long term with the right help?

Last year I planted three 1-year-old blueberry bushes in my back yard in clay soil and I've added several inches of mulch and soil amendments, but have a feeling that they won't do well in clay soil long term. If I keep adding organic material/mulch…
Mark Witmer
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How do I properly amend soil in pots I used last year to grow tomatoes/peppers in Ohio?

I have half a dozen large pots (24"+) on my balcony which I've used for a couple of years to grow tomatoes, peppers and herbs. Last year I rotated several pots from tomato to peppers and vice versa, and top-dressed all with LARGE bag of fresh…
JFortner
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