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Re: Questions about Soil Amendments

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Kim queried:


>I know that wood ash can make alkaline soil more alkaline.  Does anyone
>know if any other organic amendments (other than lime) can raise soil
>PH.  Since I have alkaline soil I don't want to be making my soil PH
>problem any worse.
>
>What about greensand, rock phosphate, alfalfa meal and cottonseed meal,
>or any other amendments you can think of.

Greensand is mildly acidic, rock phosphate is mildly basic (and works best
on acidic soils) alfalfa meal is neutral, cottonseed meal is acidic.
>
>It seems most people have the other problem, their soil is too acidic.
>I've found that amendment bags don't really tell you what the effect is
>on PH.  I know peat moss, pine products and cocoa mulch can help
>acidify.  Any thing else?

Sulfur is sometimes added to acidify soil, but this should be done, if at
all, with a very light touch.

The best policy is to add lots of organic matter, which will buffer changes
in pH---a lot of organic matter in the soil makes it possible to pretty much
ignore the pH issue, and plant  things with different pH requirements
together...so keep that compost coming!

HTH,

Frank
>
>Kim zone 9b, so cal
>
>
>> No. Greensand adds potassium (which is the K in NPK and the important
>> element in potash.)  Rock phospate adds phosphorus, the P in NPK.
>
>> Greensand is best added to the soil as a long term slow acting source of
K
>> and other trace minerals, along with compost and rock phosphate.
>>
>> Personally I don't use blood meal and bone meal, preferring compost or
>> alfalfa meal as an N source and rock phosphate as a P source if I need
one;
>> alfalfa meal at 5-1-2 is a balanced fertilizer and compost is also.
>
>> Cottonseed meal is a fertilizer, primarily an N source and useful for
acid
>> loving plants like blueberries and azaleas. In my opinion, it is
worthwhile
>> to pay extra for organic cottonseed meal, as the other stuff is laden
with
>> pesticide residues...
>> >
>>
>
>
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