DIY Soil

Improvements

Angel Trumpet and other small trees and shrubs Organic Soil Amendments

Adding soil amendments to help improve soil texture and friability is something you can do to naturally improve your garden and lawn soils.Brugmansia. or Angel trumpets as they are commonly known, benefit greatly from the use of these. It creates lush top growth, abundant flowering, and overall root strength and health. You can do this to your own do it yourself brugmansia soil less mixes too.

The application rate per 100 square feet has two numbers listed, an high and a low. These numbers are based on your soil's own exsisting fertility. The lower number is for soils that are considered high fertility, the lower number is for soils considered low in fertility. Doing a soil test prior to application will help you make the right choice as per application rate.

A soil builder that is rarely spoken of and one I consider organic, is Lava sand. It works wonders for my yard. Naturally containing lots of much needed trace minerals, I can see positie results from it's application within a week or so. Because it is full of microscopic holes, it is a great filter and does not compact as some amendments do, at least not right away. So it allows the passing of water and oxygen into the soil. I have heard it is great for clay based soils, although I do not have any personal experience with this.

I also like the overall weight of it. It will not blow away, so you can add it to the top of your soil and it will find it's way down into the top few inches of your soil without any labor on your part.

I cannot find it at my local stores, so have to either order it from Amazon or the link I am going to provide here. Natures Guide. Their website also has several other organic products, like greensand, that are listed on my table.

Gypsum should be used only if a soil test indicates an excess of magnesium, plus a need for calcium. Do not use gypsum if your PH is below 5.8.

You can easily make your own broken down calcium for adding as an amendment to soils and soiless mixes. Save your eggshells from cooking use, and then put them in a large, (2 gallon size is good) durable ziploc baggie. Use a rolling pin to crush them, and continuously add to the baggie, crushing each time, until it is almost full. Then add about 3/4 cup of Apple Cider vinegar to the eggshells. Zip up the bag and sit it in a cool, dark place for about a month to 6 weeks. When you return, open the bag. It should smell like alcohol. You have just made useable calcium that is broken down enough to add to your soil mixes!

Limestone whether it be dolomitic or calcitic, is a soil modifier and adds both calcium, and in the case of dolomitic limestone, also magnesium to the soil. Both will raise your soil's PH. Use dolomitic limestone if a soil test shows a need for magnesium. Both types of limestone are affected by soil types, and therefore, your state's county extension office should get a test sample from you before applying either. They can then further advise you as to a rate and which type to use. Never over∼apply limestone.

Fulvic Acid is not used persay as a soil amendment, but as a supplement to your plant's overall health. It is used frequently in hydroponic growing systems, but can be of great benefit to those of us who'd like to use it in say, DIY brugmansia tea.

Rock phosphate is a long lasting but very slow at releasing it's values into the soil. This can be a good thing.It is most effective in an acidic soil, and contains 11 trace minerals. It contains 32 percent total phosphate and 32 percent calcium.

Wood Ash contains potassium and is a soil modifier. It raises soil PH. The nutrient content varies according to the type of wood and type of soil in which the tree had grown. Use wood ash in conjunction with lime to adjust PH. Do not apply to the same area more than every 2 to 3 years.

Here is an excellent read on minerals and nutrients and how they affect the health of your plants. You can even purchase these choice minerals from them: Soil MInerals Information.

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