Soil improvement

R. H. Borden, R. D. Holtz, and I. Juran, eds.. Proceedings of the 1992PiSCE Specialty Conference on Grouting, Soil Improvement, andGeosjnthetics, Neiv Orleans, Ea., Eeb. 25—28, Geotechnical Special Publication Vol. 1, no. 30, ASCE, New York, 1992. 

Other markets for charcoal are as a filtration medium, a horticultural soil improver, and an adsorbent. Its large surface area of hundreds of square meters per... 

Silva et al. (2007) characterized a municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) based on standardized European Methods (ECN) for soil improvers and growing media and found that MSWC presents a lower C/N ratio (15) than peat and composted pine bark. 

Fresh Compost Sanitized Soil improvement, Agriculture, Declaration no... 

The economic advandage of using peat lies in the better utilization of nutrients. At 1984 prices, the saving achieved by retaining the nutrients is about 6 Finnish marks (about 0.9 USD), per cubic meter of peat used. The price of peat liitter is about 20 marks/m3 (3 USD). Additional benefit is derived from the soil improvement effect... 

KYTO, M., SIPILA, K. THUN, R. 1983. Pintaturve maanparannusaineenaja kuivikkeena. Summary Weakly decomposed peat for soil improvement and litter. Technical Research Centre of Finland. Research notes 240. 

Organic gardening methods can cut your costs. Making compost and leaf mold, for example, can eliminate the need to purchase soil Improvers and fertilizers, and you can save considerable amounts of money on organic produce by growing your own. 

Consider the environmental implications when choosing materials for hard landscaping, soil improving, and so forth. 

Feed the soil Bulky organic soil improvers (see overleaf) feed the soil-living creatures that build soil structure and fertility. 

Commercial soil improvers, such as composted manures and plant wastes, can be purchased if you are unable to make enough... 

Garden compost can be classified as a medium-fertility soil improver (see pp.34-35). Apply it where required at an average rate of around 25 gal/50 sq ft (100 liters/5 sq m). This is a layer of approximately V2 in (1 cm) thick spread out evenly over the ground. Apply compost in spring or summer as a mulch, or dig it into the top 8 in (20 cm) of the soil. 

Two-year-old leaf mold is much finer and can be used as soil improver, in a topdressing mixture for lawns, or as an ingredient in potting mix for container plants. 

Leaf mold can generally be used as a low-fertility soil improver (seepp.34-35) and a moisture-retaining mulch after one year. It should be darker and more crumbly than the newly fallen leaves, but does not have to be fully rotted. For a finer product, for use in seed and potting mixes or as a topdressing for... 

Worm compost made from vegetable waste is a high-fertility soil improver (seepp.34-35), with a fine crumbly texture. 

Soil improver While there are plenty of alternatives for those who wish to avoid animal products, manures are valuable fertility boosters for the soil. 

Animal manures are a traditional source of soil fertility in an organic garden. They are most valuable when they come with some form of bedding material. Once well-rotted or composted, the resulting medium- to high-fertility soil improver provides both bulk, to build soil structure, and nutrients, which are released into the soil as the manure decomposes. 

Well-rotted manures improve soil structure and water-holding capacity, and supply nitrogen, potassium, and other plant foods. Their nutrient content will vary with the proportion of manure and urine to straw or other bedding, and on whether they have been stored under cover or outdoors in the rain. However, they should be medium- to high-fertility soil improvers. Apply at a rate of one or two wheelbarrow loads (12-24 gal) per 50 sq ft (50-100 liters/5 sq m). When handling any animal-based product, keep cuts covered, wash your hands under running water before handling food, and be sure your tetanus vaccination is up to date. 

Increase the soil s water-holding capacity or, in the case of heavy clay, increase the availability of the water to your plants by incorporating bulky organic soil improvers (see pp.34-35). m Dig, where appropriate, to break up compacted ground, to encourage extensive plant rooting. 

If staking is required (see facing page, top), put the stake in now to avoid damaging the roots. Set the plant in the hole and backfill the hole with the removed soil, mixed with a bulky soil improver if necessary. 

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