Soil Amendments

Vicki Brock, John Failor-

    If you live in Ohio, don't waste money on gypsum.  We do not need it.
It is sold as a soil softener, but in Ohio it is considered only an
expensive liming source.  Gypsum (hydrated calcium sulfate) is mainly used
in arid regions with high salt to add calcium to the soil and leach out the
excess salt.  Gypsum breaks down and the calcium attaches to the soil
particles and stays in the soil increasing the base saturation.  The sulfate
attaches to the sodium and is easily flushed from the soil solution.

Vicki-

    Soil tillage practices may affect  granulation in you growing area.  I
like to till in moderation in my vegetable garden.  I have a silt loam soil
and it is prone to crusting. Sandy soils are not nearly as prone to these
problems.  If I pulverize the soil, a rain will come along and completely
destroy the very top 1" of my topsoil.  The things that affect your soil
most are 1) physical processes that encourage particle contact, 2)  decaying
o.m., 3) cations attached to your soil particles, 4) soil tillage.  You are
in control of  most of these.  Pay attention to these 4 items and you should
be OK

    In response to the watering issue.  If you get rot, water less and add
more potassium (K).  On the golf course before the high heat and stress
months of June, July and August we apply a high K fertilizer.  K has a
significant role in a plants' water management.  It is the major player in
controlling the opening and closing of the stomata.

    We would "syringe" in the middle of the afternoon just enough to stop
wilting.  It would not wet the ground too much, the idea is to cool the
leaves.  Use a fine nozzle sprinkler to cool the leaves.  You may have to do
this a couple times during very hot days.  Don't believe the tale of
magnifying or boiling the leaves, that is a bunch of bull.

    Hope this helps,

    John J. Pritchard

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