3 10 soil amendments
TRANSCRIPT
Growing Environment
Plant: Saucer Magnolia
Term: Soil Amendments
Saucer MagnoliaMagnolia x loebneri• Plant type: Tree, deciduous• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4b to 8a • Height: 25-30’, • Exposure: full sun • Bloom Color: White, pink • Bloom Time: spring• Landscape Uses: Espalier, Specimen • Special Features: Fragrant flowers, • Blooms are very showy
Soil Amendment
• A material that you add to the soil to improve its chemical or physical properties.
Compost
• A mixture of decaying organic matter, as from leaves and manure, used to improve soil structure and provide nutrients
Soil Fertility
• Measure of the nutrients in a soil available for plant life;
• Macronutrients: N-P-K– Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium
• Secondary:– Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur
• Micronutrients: – BORON (B) -IRON (Fe) – CHLORINE (Cl) -MANGANESE (Mn)– COPPER (Cu) -MOLYBDENUM (Mo) – ZINC (Zn)
Fertilizers: N-P-K
• N is for % Nitrogen• P is for % Phosphorus• K is for % Potassium• If a fertilizer is 10 – 10 – 10. It is a
Balanced fertilizer for general purpose use. It has 10% each of the macronutrients and 70% filler to make application easier
• Lawn fertilizer would have a balance like 16 - 4 - 4.
Write this down
Soil testing
• Test kit for NPK
• Send off samples to extension service for micronutrients
• New testing for biological activity
• Applying fertilizer with out a soil test is a potential waste of money and harmful to the environment
Nitrogen
• Start-up fertilizer
• Green growth
• Need most for grasses
• Don’t add to fruiting plants except at initial planting– Get green growth & no flowers & fruit
• Nitrogen deficiency – yellow color
Soil Amendments Nitrogen
• Nitrate of Soda: Inorganic, Soluble & quickly available. Lowers acidity. 16% N
• Ammonium nitrate: Inorganic, Not as soluble. 33%N
• Ammonium sulfate: Inorganic, Lower solublilty. Makes soil acidic. 21% N
• Urea formaldehyde: Organic, available more slowly, 38%N
Leaching
• The more soluble a fertilizer is– The quicker it is available to plants– The faster it washes (leaches out of the soil)
• Insoluble fertilizers – Also called slow release fertilizer – releases
throughout the growing season.– Some fertilizers are coated to slow their
release
Phosphorus amendments
• Superphosphate: 20% P• Treble superphosphate: 46% P• Rock phosphate: 25 – 35% P• Ammonium phosphate: 48% P
• Held tightly by soil so does not leach• Excess application does the most damage
to lakes & streams
Potassium Amendments
• Muriate of potash: 60% K
• Sulfate of potash: 49% K
• Nitrate of potash: 44% K
pH
• Lime is added to increase the pH.• Sulfur or iron sulfate or Mg Sulfate is added to
decrease the pH for acid loving plants.• Acid favoring plants;
– Hollies, Camellias, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, – Hydrangeas – blooms change color based on pH.– Vegetables: egg plant, potatoes, & watermelon
• Lime also supplements calcium (minor nutrient). Piedmont Virginia soils are frequently calcium deficient
Organic Amendments
• Compost – adds tilthe ?-?-?, relatively low• Cottonseed meal: 7-3-2• Fish emulsion: 5-1-1• Bonemeal: 4-12-0• Bloodmeal: 11-0-0• Manure: 1-1-1• Sewage sludge: 2-1-1*
– *May not be eligible for organic certification
Fertilizer Calculation
Lbs of fertilizerTo make 1 gallon =Of stock solution
Desired conc. X Dilution in PPM factor
% N in Fert. X 1200
• Get the dilution factor from the injector• The desired concentration will be different for
different plants• The % N will be on the fertilizer bag• Multiply the answer by the number of gallons
that the stock tank holds
Soil Texture Test
• Gather samples • Sample should be just soil – no plants
Today
• Soil Texture
• Soil fertility
• Plugs?