Soil improvement agents
Soil improvement agents
A soil conditioner enriches your existing soil and stimulates soil life. So it is not a welcome extra for your plant, but the basis for good rooting in the soil. The plants will then grow well and absorb all the fertilisers in the soil. Soil improver cannot be compared to potting soil, as it is mixed with your existing soil in the garden. So never place your plants directly in the soil improver, but in a mixed top layer of your soil.
What is the use of a soil improver?
Using a soil conditioner improves your ability to retain water and nutrients and boosts soil life. Plants require oxygen, water and nutrients to survive. They get these from the soil.
Is the soil in your garden rather poor and sandy? Then water seeps away fairly quickly, taking necessary nutrients with it. As a result, you get leaching. Plants that cannot absorb water or nutrients from the soil will not survive for long.
In addition, a soil can also be rather rich but non-porous. Excess water then has difficulty penetrating the soil. Such soil also hardens in dry weather, which is anything but ideal conditions for plants.
And that is where a soil conditioner can prove its worth. By mixing soil conditioner through the topsoil before planting, you optimise the structure allowing nutrients and water to be used efficiently. By improving the soil quality before planting, you usually also need less extra fertilising throughout the year with fertilisers.
Two other benefits of using soil conditioners for planting crops are improving soil fertility and having a positive impact on the environment. Soil improvers can improve soil fertility in the long term, increasing the overall health of your garden. In addition, soil conditioners help reduce soil degradation and improve soil health. This has a positive impact on the environment.
Conclusion: soil conditioners have a positive impact in that they
- enrich the soil (soil activator)
- lighten the soil (for sandy soil) or aggravate it (for clay soil)
- improve soil structure
Soil improvers vs compost vs fertilisers
Let's start with the similarity between compost, fertilisers and soil conditioners. All three promote soil quality. But in terms of composition, function and application, they differ.
Fertilisers carry essential nutrients that your plants need to develop. Soil conditioners, on the other hand, contribute to the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. So the approach is different. Compost is a kind of soil improver, but not all soil improvers are compost. Compost is a natural, ecological soil improver created by allowing plant residues - such as vegetables, fruit, garden waste - to be broken down by micro-organisms in a controlled way. When compost is ready, you can use it in the same way as other soil improvers.
Types of soil conditioners
- Dried cow/chicken/horse manure: The purest form of fertilisation/soil improvement is to use fresh manure. Unfortunately, this also carries risks. This is because fresh manure contains a high percentage of nitrogen, which raises the possibility of burning. In addition, traces of selective weed control and growth inhibitors may be present if straw was mixed with the fertiliser. The composition of dried manure is optimised, it is easy to spread and it is low-odour.
- Lava meal: Lava meal is a thoroughly natural product, as it is powder derived from lava rock. Thanks to the origin of this soil improver, lava meal contains a broad spectrum of essential minerals such as silicon, iron, magnesium or calcium. Lava meal improves water permeability and combats weeds. It also supports micro-organisms and worms: essential for healthy soil. Lava meal is not only a soil conditioner, but also protects your plants from fungi and harmful insects. It dries out fungal germs and has a drying and abrasive effect on insects.
- Perlite: Perlite is a soil improver that can be used in both potting soil and open ground. It is ideal to use in heavy clay soil because it makes the soil airier. In addition, perlite helps the soil retain moisture. Perlite is also added to the better potting soils to retain water and release it back in dry conditions.
- Bentonite: Bentonite is a natural rock containing clay minerals. As a soil improver, it is ideal for sandy soils because it makes the soil heavier and retains water better. 1 kg of bentonite can hold up to 10 kg of water.
- Basalt meal: Basalt meal is an ancient volcanic rock that is perfect for clay soil. It makes the soil airier and also improves water management.
- Peat: Peat is to be incorporated into the top layer in your garden. By doing this, you enrich the soil with organic matter (hummus) and improve the structure of the soil. Plants take root faster as a result. In a way, peat can be compared to compost you make yourself, but peat is created after years of composting in an oxygen-deficient environment. Peat acidifies the soil and is therefore ideal for acid-loving plants. However, keep in mind that peat is in se a fossil fuel extracted in peat quarries.
