RE: Oxygenation of soil.

Oxygen would likely help the microbial activity in the soil.  It is one of
the reason why compost should be turned periodically to allow aerobic
bateria to thrive.

Nitrogen in the form available from a gas company is an inert gas, that is,
it won't react with anything.  It may actually do the opposite of
oxygenating the soil because you will be displacing oxygen with nitrogen.

The useful form of nitrogen in agriculture is usually ammonia gas or liquid
(which is what farmers use on corn crops) or granular nitrogen compounds in
fertilizers.  These forms of nitrogen are ions that happen to have nitrogen
in them.  Nitrogen gas is the molecule N(2), which is inert.

Frank P.
Madison, WI

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pumpkins@hort.net [o*@hort.net]On Behalf
Of Harold Jorgensen
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 10:14 AM
To: List
Subject: Oxygenation of soil.


I have a friend who works for a gas distributing company, ( oxygen, gas
nitrogen etc.)
We were talking about getting oxygen to the roots of new plants in the patch
and we came up with an idea of putting 2 or 3 probes into the hill about 12
to
18 inches below the surface of the soil and regulating the oxygen so as to
let
a little out at certain intervals during the week or the day to see if this
enhanced the growth of a plant. As we got into this we were thinking about
gas
nitrogen and doing the same.
Does anyone else have any thoughts on this? Do you think this could enhance
the growth of the plants?
when you think about oxygen in the air you are talking about 21% and if the
soil is aerated temporarily you are only getting 21% oxygen to the roots,
So what we are thinking is to put 100% pure oxygen into the soil
periodically
and maybe doing the same with nitrogen.
Yes normally this may be cost prohibiting but he is willing to supply the
gasses, tanks and regulators for free.
Anyone have any thought or input about this idea?

Harold

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