Soil conditioners can help prevent clay from cracking.
Fertilizers and soil conditioners are called soil amendments because they change the structure of the soil. Fertilizer adds nutrients to the soil. Some soil conditioners may or may not add nutrients to the soil. Spaghnum peat moss, for example, is considered a soil conditioner because it lightens and breaks up heavy clay soil so that it is not waterlogged when it's wet, or baked and cracked when it's dry.
Fertilizer Features
Plants require certain elements in order to grow strong and healthy, like oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. Some plants, like legumes, can fix nitrogen in the soil, but most are unable to do so and must acquire it somehow. When plants decay, they release their stores of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Natural fertilizers like composts, which are created out of decayed vegetation, have these elements in abundance. Natural fertilizers also contain trace minerals and elements that are needed by all plants. Chemical fertilizers are easy to use and contain the three main elements of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium that are needed for optimum growth.
Natural and Chemical Fertilizers
Natural fertilizers that double as soil conditioners include manure, compost that can be purchased or made from household kitchen scraps, sawdust, lime, sulphur, bloodmeal and bonemeal. Chemical fertilizers are available in slow-release granular froms and can be purchased at nurseries. They generally provide nitrogen for growth, phosphorous for blooms and potassium for strong root systems. The numbers listed on the fertilizer bags indicate how much of each of these elements are contained within. For example, 10-10-10 means that each element is available in equal amounts.
Soil Conditioners
Soil conditioners are added to amend or improve the quality of soils. These include compost, manure, bonemeal, bloodmeal, mulches and chemical fertilizers. Other conditioners that improve the structure of the soil but add few or no nutrients to the soil include peat, coir, perlite and vermiculite. These are added to compacted and clay soils to break up the small particles so that the soil does not remain waterlogged after a heavy rain, or bake and crack when there is no moisture available. Porous, sandy soils benefit from soil conditioners, which help them retain water.
Application
Soil conditioners can be tilled into the soil before seeds are sown or plants planted. Compost, manure and mulches can be laid around the plants, and will still deliver their benefits. Chemical fertilizers can be scratched into the soil around the plants and then watered to allow them to start working. Testing to discover what the pH balance of the soil is can be helpful since certain plants prefer an acidic or alkaline soil. Adding lime, for example, will lower the acidity of the soil for plants that prefer a more alkaline soil.
Excess Effects
Natural fertilizers and soil conditioners like manure and compost can be added in any amount without adverse effects. Chemical fertilizers must be used with caution. Too much chemical fertilizer can burn sensitive roots, and, if placed too close to the plant, can burn the stems. The chemicals can leak into the water system and are harmful to the environment.
Related posts
Fertilizers are additives that provide essential nutrients to plants not supplied by the soil. Such additives improve qualities such as density, hardiness, disease resistance and color. Although d...
Healthy, nutrient-rich soil is essential to organic gardening.Soil nutrients essential for sustainable plant growth include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, zinc, manga...
Healthy soil contains the nutrients plants need to grow.Plants need 13 different mineral nutrients to grow. They absorb these nutrients from the soil using their roots. Too much or too little of a...
A fertilizer nitrogen level that's too high can have negative effects on tomato growth.Fertilizer acts as a type of food for growing plants. Soil composition influences gardeners' decisions on the...
Amendments are added to soil to improve it.A soil amendment is anything added to soil that improves its physical properties. The categories of soil amendments are broad, and may include organic am...
