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 amendments to change the texture of soil, fertilizers to boost the nutrient structure, cover crops to add aeration and drainage or even items that will change the pH of soil.
Soil Test
Before adding amendments to soil, get a soil test to learn the existing condition of the soil. Typically, soil tests reveal the nutrient content of soil, the quantity of organics and the pH level. Knowing the existing condition of the soil can tell you which amendments and how much of each amendment to add to the soil in order to create positive change.
Misconceptions
Not all soil amendments you add to soil are good. Plants are adapted to naturally grow in different environments. These plants thrive when the soil in which they are grown replicates these environments. For example, desert plants thrive in loose, sandy soil with little moisture or nutrients. Soil amendments for these plants should consist of amendments that increase drainage. Blueberry plants and azaleas grow in bog-like conditions where soil is moist and filled with organics and the pH is high in acid. Amendments for these plants should add organic ingredients to the soil and lower the pH. Often the soil cannot absorb all of an amendment quickly enough to make a positive change in a plant. When this occurs, the amendments may harm the environment or the plants. One example of this occurs when lawns are overfertilized in spring. Too much nitrogen added to a lawn can cause the grass to burn. Additionally, the nitrogen can be carried off by rainwater or drainage and cause pollution. Nitrogen runoff is the primary cause of algae bloom in lakes and rivers.
Organic vs. Inorganic
Amendments may be comprised of organic material or inorganic material. Organic material is made up of things that were once living. Examples include compost, peat moss and cover crops. Inorganic amendments are made of items that were never alive. Examples include synthetic fertilizers and elements such as sulfur or dolomite lime that are used to change the pH of soil.
Mulches
Amendments differ from mulches in that they are added into the soil to change it. A mulch is placed on the surface of the soil. In this way, many of the same items that could be considered amendments such as compost may also be mulches. Even wood chips which are added to the surface of soil as mulch may be mixed with the soil for aeration as an amendment.
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